This is a very real and very serious issue. Not only can the parents not afford it, they are setting a high standard of life style for their children without a hope of helping them live that life style. They are setting them up for disappointment. It is hypocritical and goes against the message of what mesiras nefesh for yiddishkeit is, what ehrlechkeit is. It negates “der poshutah yid”. It sends our children a terrible message of where our priorities lie. And even people who would not ordinarily follow such practices are sucked into it because they don’t want to look like the beggars on the block.
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THIS?