Israel – A new regulation at Shas’ Maayan Torah education network prohibits female workers from showing up to work without a head covering that covers their hair completely.
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A letter ordering women to dress accordingly signed by the network’s Director General Yoav Ben-Zur has been distributed to all employees this week. Shas’ school network caters to tens of thousands of children across the country and receives funding from the state.
Many female workers were outraged by the new directive, and claimed that a lot of ultra-Orthodox women do not regularly wear all-concealing head covering. “The new regulation is odd and infuriating,” said one worker. “It refers to haredi women who ordinarily wear a head covering and reveal very little hair as it is.”
Another worker stressed that the new rule bans women from wearing wigs and requires them to only wear scarves. She added that employees have already been threatened with dismissal should they continue to wear a wig to work.
“Please help us,” she pleaded. “Have we become Iran? Are we like Hamas? This place is turning into Khomeinistan… we are merely women trying to work and support our Torah studying husbands, without getting involved in Shas’ internal politics.”
Shas’ spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef has in the past ruled that wigs are forbidden as a head covering.
Another dangerous step in the Talibinazation of Judaism. (and another scary example of what would happen if these crazies ever got control of the the Israeli government.) I only hope the poor women have the courage, strength and support to standup to Mullah Yosef and his fatwahs.
What are the women whining about? Every employer is entitled to enforce a dress code; you don’t like it, leave and open your own business!
Since their posek requires scarves, and total coverage of hair, this is the example they wish to set to the children in their school
Even if they are not married? making up new halachos as they go along.
Kol hakuvd to shas! hope all schools will do the same & musiac will come soon, by torh laws woman must be cover’d fully, MI KAMCU YISROEL
Kol hakuvd to shas! hope all schools will do the same & musiac will come soon, by torh laws woman must be cover’d fully, MI KAMCU YISROEL
Whats next?, It seems that Rabbi Ovadya loves contoversy. It it well accepted for Ashkenasic women to just wear a wig which covers all the hair verses a snood like the Seferdim with all the hair sticking out. So Rabbi please look into the matter urguntly with your blind eye sight.
That is the Sephardic halacha, ladies. Don’t like it, become Ashkenazi.
#2 How dare you refer to Maran Rav Ovadia that way. Only an Ashkenazia would say such a thing. It is not in the Sephardic middot to do so. YOU are the “poor” woman not I. Thinking so little of yourself and your husband. And what does he think of you? Are you treasured and respected as you should be? See my last paragraph. Beauty knows no age nor style of shmatas. It is in your spirit and soul or it isn’t. And it is recognized more in modesty than in brazenness. Trust me, if I were single, a shidduch would not be a problem. So what are you really looking to prove by going naked, my modern Lady Godiva?
Honestlyfrum, Not being made up as we go. That’s the halacha. If I were single could I go down King George without a blouse just cause I’m not married?Covering is a modesty issue not a respect during tefillah one.
I’m 62 and newly religious about 3 years. I wear head coverings all the time because I am married and still at my age have hair to die for. Which makes another point. Since it is so great and has been mistaken for a sheitle, when I was starting on the path, why should I pay thousands to wear someone else’s. I’d rather wear a nice scarf and make a personal statement.
It is not the Taliban. Because of the above, I feel more free, not like a piece of meat walking, yes even at 62. Call it good genes. . And BTW, I agree with “What’s with you,” completely.
These are schools, where their job is to educate the children. Shas has every right to ask the the teachers to come in a way that would educate the children that that is the Halacha for Sepharadim. At home go how ever you want, but if you want to educate Sephardic children you must follow their rules. Can a Jew teach in a Christian school with a Magen David necklace? would you want a teacher wearing a cross in the class?
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef has shown time and again that he is not scared of any one and will say what he believes is right. That’s a true Gadol!
The schools are funded by people who want it to follow the path of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. He is not making this rule a secret . If any donor doesn’t like it, he can stop donating. As for me. I will God Willing double my yearly donation to their schools
Ah…. new words to make fun of, and marginally the observant:
It used to be “fanatics”
now it became “Ultra-Orthodox”
and the latest “Taliban tactics”
Anyone who knows and understands the tactics of propaganda is aware of this.
All posters who use the above terms, do so with the intent of making the non-observent appear foolish, crazy, or over the top, in their observance. This way we can dismiss what they do.
It is a way to marginalize all observant Jews.
Bottom line is that we observe Torah, and the rules of our rabbonim.
That is what Judaisim is.
Yes, we have a situation today, with barely observant rabbis, ignorant rabbis, liberal rabbis, or ones who just need to be lenient because of their communities, go against the rulings of the holiest, and most learned of the recent generations.
We all know, (if you don’t know this, it is because you don’t want to know), that the vast majority of the frum rabbonim have taught us to cover a married woman’s hair completely.
Some prefered a teechel, and every feels that is best.
Some allow a shaitel.
Chabad actually prefers the shaitel.
Some allow a snood.
But NONE have ever allowed a married woman to go out with her own hair exposed.
All agree that a married woman’s hair must be fully covered.
Many prefer that even a shaitel be covered, at least partially.
Some object to long-haired “sexy looking” shaitlech.
This is not new. This is what we have been taught for generations.
However every time it is attempted to be be enforced, those Liberal factions of Mod Orth and others who were/are lenient on this shout out and want their liberal rabbi to be the one we all listen to.
The great tzadkim of the past, those who taught us and ruled for us, for generations, become “Taliban” or “Ultra Orthodox” people to ignore.
I remember as a bochur I was at a Kol Nidre drasha of one of the great tzadikim of the previous generations. And we cried out to everyone against those fancy shaitlech. He was against shaitlech which did not “look like a shaitel”…. if the wig looked real enough to look like your own hair, he felt it was ossur!
And this is a Tzadik EVERYONE raved about how great he was.
But, here he may be called a Taliban! How sad.
Just by the way R’ Elyuashiv and R’Chaim Kanievsky also hold that shaitels are assur even for ashkenazim!!!!
“Please help us,” she pleaded. “Have we become Iran? Are we like Hamas? This place is turning into Khomeinistan… we are merely women trying to work and support our Torah studying husbands, without getting involved in Shas’ internal politics.”
No this is Torah ! You need to rid yourself of your western definition of modesty and come back to the Torah definition of modesty!
Religious schools should be able to adopt whatever dress code and behavior code for employees while at work as they wish, however, there is plenty of room for legitimate argument that those schools who take public funds should be limited on the religious restrictions they place on their employees. Publicly-funded institutions should be teaching tolerance and respect for those with different views. Public money should not be used to favor one particular religious view over another.
These are female government workers, not workers in private businesses. I realize that Israel has no constitution and therefore makes the rules of law up as they go along, but it is scary to think that one can lose a job because they do not comply with some edict of a religious leader, be it a Chacham or an Ayitolah. Our Rabbanim should try to educate, give musar, plead and pray not force people to do something which does not harm society.
Amazing how people just talk and make statements and showing off what big am ha’aretz they are, nowhere in this article was mentioned that girls have to cover their and nowhere in halacha is it required for girls to cover their hair, so people before screaming check your facts
This is not Jewish law its extremism.
BY THE WAY Many ashkenazic schools for example the SEMINAR CHADASAH in jerusalem force the women to wear wigs and NOT Head head coverings.
Hypocrits at their best
#31 if you want to see Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s reasoning he has several responsa in YAbia Omer, and I have a feeling he knows a bit more then all of us
To all of you,
I work in a frum company and the policy about dress code is the women should wear skirts and not pants what so ever. So all the Goim should get up and scream and say please help us. But this is our company’s policy and they respect that. why are we Jews have to act different even towards our own Rabbis?
Do Teshuva!! and respect Rab Ovadia’s pesak.
Finaly someone has the guts to stand up and demand torah values.
I see two conflicting points of view here.
For starters, I don’t think it’s beyond the pale to have halacha play a role in determining the dress code in a religious office in Israel. If there is anyplace where the rules of halacha should apply in determining a dress code, then perhaps that’s the place.
On the other hand, I find the lack of recognition of other streams of frum Judaism to be disturbing. There are millions of frum women all over the world who cover their heads with wigs. The practice of doing so does not belong to some fringe movement — it takes place all over the world and is endorsed by people who are, by all accounts, talmedai chachomim and gedolim. The fact that the movements and customs of all these women are being marginalized is very disturbing.
I’m also left to wonder where this will lead. If one allows an employer to impose his view of halacha as the standard for the workplace, then where does it end? Should an employer be allowed to raid an employee’s lunch box to see if the meat in the sandwich meets his approval? Should he be allowed to tell his employees that they can’t go to a certain local resturaunt for lunch because it doesn’t meet his standards (real or imagined)? Should he be able to sack an employee for taking a non-mehadrin bus to work when a mehadrin one is available? In short, where does it end?
Furthermore, is it right to deprive a worker of the benefits of employment simply because they follow a version of halacha that is widely followed in the world but not up to the standards of the boss? Intangible benefits such as seniority, reputation, familiarity with co-workers and the like all have benefits and should not be lost simply because a boss becomes “more frum” or decides to impose a higher standard after employment has been contracted.
It’s simply not fair to ask your employees to live up to your standard of halacha when the standard that they currently live up to is accepted worldwide.
The Wolf
A very dangerous precedent, to say all the wig wearing women do not meet the halachic standard. The need for rabbis to keep adding more stringent rules/guidelines is a real shame and they should keep busy working on real issues/difficulties facing our community. it is a blessing that at the end of the day the prohibition of wig wearing will be accepted only by a minority of women (as with bullet proof stockings).
I have news for all of you out there. My father at the age of 96 just passed away. He had Smichas from the biggest gedolai hador, Yonasson Shteif, Pressburger Rebbe etc. and he told me… ladies listen up. The right way and what the Torah says is that THE HALACHA IS THAT A WOMEN MUST COVER HER HAIR! Covering hair does NOT MEAN COVERING HAIR WITH A “WIG” or another persons hair, or synthetic hair (whom are we fooling) covering hair means COVERING WITH A SCARF! and when Moshiach comes we will ALL COVER OUR HAIR THE “RIGHT” WAY WHICH IS A SCARF!! So prepare yourselves…..
#48 Why so personal you could have made your point without the negative personal comments…
Wearing a wig was/is accepted halachicly no one can argue that point, and that will/should not change because a few gedollim have their opinion, .
# 57 Chacham Ovadiah did not prohibit wigs, only for his followers that work for his institutions. At this time the Chacam would not be able to implement such a prohibition on wigs for the majority of yiden only a very small minority. There is no need to list all the gedolim whose wives wore wigs. I am not sure what you don’t understand most rabbis for the past 50 years viewed a wig as an acceptable hair covering.
# 57 For certain the Chacham can require a dress code for his institutions.(even while receiving government funds, that’s another conversation)
Yes, the Lubavitcher Rebbe liked Shaitels.
But there is a reason why he prefered Shaitels, while the rest of the Chassidishe Rebbes prefered a Teechel.
1. Among his kehilla were many baalei teshuva. He was concerned that they would be more willing to comply with a shaitel.
2. The other Chassidim usually cut thier hair rather too short to wear out doors uncovered. So, when they go out in a teechel, they are VERY careful to choose a teechel style which will not ride up and expose their short hair.
3.. For the same reason as #2 , the “Scarf teechel” that is worn over long hair can easily be pulled off and disappear into the woman’s purse, to be put back on when she got back to Crown Heights. This was an issue in CH at one time. Women were working in NY, wearing their own hair to work, and only covering up back in CH. That is the main reason the Rebbe preferred a Shaitel. Shaitels are less likely to spend the day in the woman’s purse.
This was an appropriate decision for him to make considering his kehilla.
Had his chassidim been from the same groups as the other Chassidim, I probably might have had alternative suggestions.
But either way, if you care about tznius, why should it trouble you to cover that shaitel? Plenty of other Chassidim wear shaitels, AND COVER THEM WITH HATS OR SCARFS
This is a very interesting article with its comments. I gave up my wig l’kovod tznius and Shem Shomayim, because it is the right way a Bas Yisroel should look, because it didn’t make sense to wear a non-jew’s hair, didn’t make sense to pay hundreds, then thousands of dollars to keep the business going, didn’t seem quite honest that there is no ‘accountability’ for damaged goods, together with the careless treatment by some who profess to know how to cut a wig. But another main reason is that it robs you of ‘feeling like a movie-star’. A Jewish woman should never want to look like a ‘French model’, and she should emulate the great Imahos, the way the Jewish man should ‘strive’ to be like Moshe Rabbeinu. Life in the Goldene Medene has gone too far. Even some of the men have become fashion models. If this sounds odd to your ears, it is not what is written, but what you think about what you are reading. If anyone wants to really know what some of the Ashkenazim Rabbis in Yerushalayim have said about “wigs” drop me an email, and I will send you reading material. [email protected]
Listen, this is absolute nonsense–these stupid and archaic laws are what give religion a bad name–personally I always found Jews to be strange–after all look at the stupid hats they wear–and those arrogant attitudes–and always always bitching about something like spoiled brats. The look very messy and act oh so strange.