Jerusalem – A member of parliament decried a proposed amendment banning the import of fur, which would eliminate the traditional fur hats worn by ultra orthodox Jews.
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Knesset Member Menachem Eliezer Moses, chairman of the Haredi-religious United Torah Judaism party, has found that an animal welfare bill supported by the government could make his shtreimel an endangered species. The shtreimel is worn by married men, particularly those affiliated with the Hassidic communities, on holidays and the Sabbath. It is made of a circular velvet center surrounded by fur.
The proposed legislation, which gained the cabinet’s support, was brought to the attention of the broader coalition leadership forum on Monday. The amendment to the Animal Welfare Law would outlaw the import of products made from the fur of dogs, cats or rabbits. Specifically noted are furs imported from east Asia. The penalty for violation of the clause, which would be treated as a criminal offense, would be up to a year in jail.
MK Moses wants fur imported for use in making shtreimels be exempted from the general prohibition. “It is inconceivable,” he said, “to support a bill that outlaws imports for such a clear and important religious need.”
Moses, who is a Belzer Hassid and also a rabbi, explained to the coalition representatives the meaning and importance of the shtreimel to the sector his party represents.
The UTJ leader was at pains to explain that he does not oppose the proposed law entirely, “but I request that the law include an appropriate exception stating that import for religious purposes will not be infringed and will not be considered a violation of the law.” With a call for the government ministers to amend the law, MK Moses added, “We are not in the Middle Ages, when Jews were forbidden to use explicitly Jewish symbols.”
The shtreimel can be made from genuine or synthetic fur, with the latter actually more common among Israeli Hassidic Jews than those overseas. The Rebbe of the Gerrer Hassidic sect, in fact, issued an edict that his followers may only purchase spodiks (a style of shtreimel) made of fake fur and that cost less than $600.
**UPDATE**
The Knesset ministerial committee approved the banning of imported rabbit, dog, and cat fur from eastern Asia due to reports of animal cruelty. And the proposed law will not affect shtreimel fur importers, as the manufacturers use fur from other animals not included in the bill. However, those who don fedoras made out of rabbit pelt are out of luck.
100% for chasidim but are you aware what has to be done for the fur I watched a video and had nightmares for days they skin the animals alive !think about that
i guess the liberal flu spread to Israel
Why it’s so important ? Why not use Fake Fur ?
How can a government take our streimlach away? Next they’ll ban esrogim or matzas. We must stand up for our right to wear what we’ve worn for thousands of years. The animals were created so we could have this mitzva.
they’d better ban ‘raid’ too if they’re so concerned about animal rights; just scoop up the cockroaches and carry them to the nearest garbage dump.
and as for mousetraps, they are cold-blooded murder
Its not a mitzvah to wear a fur hat.
Just like to remind everybody! That the animal rights groups began in Nazi Germany!!!! Animal rights groups are the biggest hate mongers around!! They should be classified as a terrorist organization!!!!
Regardless, when an animal’s life is valued more than any Jewish minhag, in the so-called Jewish state, it is cause for concern.
If a human can skin a animal alive he can do it to humans just as well. Sadly to say if you’d watch the videotapes I have you to will be outraged!
the article quotes Knesset Member Menachem Eliezer Moses, chairman of the Haredi-religious United Torah Judaism party to say:
“It is inconceivable,” he said, “to support a bill that outlaws imports for such a clear and important religious need”
such stupidity & ignorance is one of the factors that causes the chiloni – charedi rift.
religious need ???
bris milah is a religious need !! matzot are a religious need !!
Shtreimalach ?? need ?? Religious ??
STUPID
silly goose! one doesn’t have to look for vegan tefillin. They are made from animals that have already died — even non-kosher ones.
The Kasho rebbe, before he became rebbe (while his father was still alive) went along with me to buy my shtreimel.
We were talking about what kind of hat to wear during the week. I told him I would wear my Beeber hit during the week, and my new shtreimel on Shabbos.
I mentioned that I would need to get a new beeber hit, as wearing it every day, it would wear out faster, etc., and that I would get a synthetic reggen streimel for the rainy days.
He said something like this:
“Though it is nice to wear a beeber hit during the week, it is also okay to wear a “shtuffine” (felt) hat. But, Shabbos is different, as there is an “INYAN” to wear genuine fur for a hat on Shabbos, but not necessary during the week.”
He then told me that since my beeber hit was also made of fur, that it was better on shabbos than a synthetic reggen shtreimel. But, that there were genuine fur reggen shtreimlech available for not much more than the synthetic ones. Maybe just not as pretty after a few years.
I wish I had asked him for the mokor (source) for the Shabbos fur hat, but I was very nervous, etc., But it was clear that his father had told him that wearing a Genuine Fur Shtreimel was something important for Shabbos al pi kabbalah.
Why do so many of you have a problem with yiddin who are machshiv minhog avosaihem?
The mitzva of Shtreimel is ‘al titosh toras imecha’
I believe I read that as commentary a couple of weeks ago for the Parasha. I was reading R. Kaplan’s translation. He was explaining how sharp the knives had to be and if they weren’t could cause the animal to be discarded. Maybe I was thinking about tearing and making it treif. However, one reason for a quick clean cut and not tearing is to spare the animal agony. Maybe I combined 2-3 ideas in my mind.