A group of 15 yeshivos in Bnei Brak announced that students would be required to wear a kasket and not a hat as until now, quoting the expense to parents and the fragility of the hats.
By Anash.org reporter
In a revolutionary letter to parents, 15 yeshivos in Bnei Brak announced that going forward, all Bar Mitzvah boys must come wearing “kaskets” only, and not regular hats, Charedim10 reported.
In a letter to parents, the administrators wrote:
“The preservation of the accepted Jewish attire has been passed down from generation to generation, and a part of it was the custom to wear a small hat or kasket.
“For some reason, after World War II, the practice of wearing broad hats has become widespread and the number of kasket wearers has decreased. However, it is difficult for students in yeshivas to maintain expensive hats, and this burdens the parents,”
The administrators, from a variety of Chassidic communities, added: “The cost of the hats is very high. We have heard the distress of the parents who cannot afford the expensive expense when kaskets are much cheaper.”
The administrators of the Torah study schools state firmly: “Boys may come to the cheder only with a kasket on their heads, and keep their hats for Shabbos, Yom Tov and simchos.”
Charedim10 notes that it is common in some Chabad yeshivos for bochurim to wear kaskets, and that some great chassidim – notably Reb Mendel Futerfas and Reb Berkeh Chein – were instructed by the Rebbe to keep their kaskets.
Should Lubavitcher chassidim switch back to the Russian kasket? Write your thoughts in the comments below.
yes sure, why spend $400 on a hat when it can cost $10?
I Beaver hat like they wear in Boro Park and wiliamsburg costs $75….
so what? that’s not what we wear why change for some $$$?
Try $325
Chaim, it cost way more
It’s interesting to hear about the decision of 15 yeshivos in Bnei Brak to require students to wear kaskets instead of hats. The reasons cited, such as the expense to parents and the fragility of hats, make sense from a practical standpoint.
Regarding the question of whether Lubavitcher chassidim should switch back to the Russian kasket, it ultimately depends on the traditions, and the guidance of the leaders. Traditions within different Chassidic communities often hold significant cultural and historical significance, and decisions like this are not taken lightly.
If the Lubavitcher chassidim have a historical connection to the Russian kasket, and their religious leaders endorse the switch, it could be a viable option for them. However, it’s essential to respect the autonomy of each community to make decisions that align with their values and beliefs.
Sounds like copy paste from AI
There is an interesting article from R. Yehoshua Mondshine with sources of Lubavitch chassidim specifically wearing kaskets and not hats.
https://www.kramim.info/article/%D7%A7%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%99%D7%98%D7%A9-%D7%96%D7%94-%D7%97%D7%91%D7%93-%D7%9E%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A8-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%9A/25693513
The title is misleading. This letters is not signed by yeshivos.
This letter is signed only by Talmud Torahs, meaning “cheder.” It is about bar mitzvah boys still in elementary, presumably because the administrators found that they specifically have a hard time taking care of their hats properly, because of their age.
Either way, even if it was yeshivos — why would something that happens in Bnei Brak have any bearing on us?! What is the connection?!
It is obviously minhag Chabad in this generation, and it already started before, to wear hats.
If someone can find the source, would be grateful:
When the Rebbe came to the U.S., the Frierdiker Rebbe told the group of chassidim who would greet him about the Rebbe’s greatness and בקיעות, and concluded,
“און ער גייט מיט א היטל מיט די ?? אראפ”.
Some thoughts (and in reference to the article of Rabbi Mondshine): בפשטות, as opposed to in earlier generations, when it was a מעלה to see more of the sky; in this generation, will all the שמוץ in the streets, there is a מעלה of the hat being אראפ, to block the street, and to help with ביטול…
I believe R. Yisroel Gordon a”h told this.
I think it’s a good idea, but why make it mandatory? Just like there are options in a dress code (choice of type of shoes, as long as they’re black), offer it as an option. Not everyone will choose it yet, but it will become a norm eventually. If it’s forced, some will object
Any photos of Tmimim in the Yud and early Chof years will show them in kaskets. Talking about older Tmimim as well. Chadeish yomeinu k’kedem. Next to be banned – skinny pants
The temimim in the U.S. in the Yuds and Chofs wore hats like the Rebbe.
What about the “Langer Rekl”?
Wasn’t that the old custom?
Good point.
If you want to go old-school-times, do it all the way, not just the part that easier on you…
IDK if you’re aware – but the Bnei Brak schools making this takkono are not Chabad – they’re stam chassidim – what people funnily call “Poilishers”.
They were already wearing lange rekelach…..
The Rebbe himself was wearing a kasket while in Russia- as we can see it in his passport picture. And the costume to wear a kasket above the yarmulke comes from Russia/Poland in those times when it was hard to get a hat. That was the typical shtetl yiddishe look.
It was hard to get a hat financially (and people were much more worried about buying bread and water to live, matza and lulav (in a real way) than for an expensive hat) AND culturally- most people who were wearing hats at that time were poritzim, ‘high-society’ modern and rich men from the big cities like Petersburg- thats how you would differentiate between a shtetl yid look and citizen look. For example you would see pictures of many of the Rothschild family wearing hats.
We even have a story of the Rebbe Maharash where he dressed up like a businessman with a hat and long coat and the admur he went to (not sure who this was) recognized him through smelling the small of gan eden that was coming out from him.
But besides for that until the Rebbe Rashab, rebbeim would wear shtreimlach. The Rebbe Rashab was wearing a hat during the week and a shtreimel on Shabbos & yom tov (there were a few תקופות). Same for the Frieediker Rebbe.
The Rebbe was only wearing a hat, since he came to the USA thats for sure. There is a story which goes like this: someone asked him why he didn’t wear a shtreimel, the Rebbe answered “If I wear a shtreimel people from bobov, sanz etc are gonna join; [but they have a Rebbe, so its not so urgent…] but I want to get all the people from Hashomer hatzair…”.
Anyway the Rebbe was wearing a hat and a sirtuk, and thats what we do too, until a VALID (by Raboiseinu nessieinu or rabonim/mashpiim as the Rebbe said that they are the שופטים ושוטרים of our generation) reason comes up.
Note: type of hat does not define a chossid. Story of a chassidisher yid who became a chossid and asked the Rebbe if he should buy a hat that’s the same type as the Rebbe’s. The Rebbe answered: to be meiner a chossid, you don’t have to wear the same hat as mine. For me, a chossid is a yid who every day, does better than the day before.
NB: don’t understand why this comes up as other communities are starting it. This should’ve been very clear lubavitch approach from before.
Also, why don’t we wear a white hat and sirtuk like the Miteler Rebbe and Tzemach Tzedek (at least) did on Shabbos? Why don’t we wear a big yarmulke like the Alter Rebbe did?
… .
“The Rebbe was only wearing a hat, since he came to the USA thats for sure.”
Really??
Think picture of the Rebbe at the garden in Paris…
The Rebbe wore a hat since he left Russia apparently.
The Frierdiker Rebbe mentioned it as a מעלה, see above.
The Rebbe told certain specific chassidim to keep their kaskets.
From that and saying that all Lubavitchers shouldn’t act like the Rebbe is a very far stretch…
Surprised such an insinuation went up on anash.org to begin with, not to mention through learning from Talmud Torahs in Bnei Brak…
וואס האט ליובאוויטש צו טאן מיט הנהגות פון בני ברק?!
I believe it was with the belzer Rebbe (I think it may have been the Sar Shalom) and the Rebbe Maharash dressed like a businessman among the chasidim but the Rebbe tracked him down and gave him shalom directly and when the Maharash told his father the story the Tzemech tzedek said, did you really think you could hide from him?
די רבי רביים נאר גערעט אידיש התקשרות ברבו המובא בחז”ל הוא לגבי הלשון מלא הין אין כידוע פי
פארוואס דארט זיכט מען נישט וואס די רבי האט געטוהן