Israeli Wigbox Launches Affordable High-Quality Wigs Amid Haredi Community Debates on Work and Faith
As the month of Elul approaches, the Israeli Haredi community faces heated discussions on several pressing issues, including the stigma against working yeshiva students and the cost of wigs. In a recent broadcast of 'Davar Rishon' on Kikar HaShabbat, hosts Moshe Mens and Hanani Britkof addressed these topics alongside historical insights and consumer news.
One major controversy involves a yeshiva supervisor's disparaging remarks about students entering the workforce, calling them "pitiful and lowly." This sparked criticism and highlighted the tension between Torah study ideals and economic realities. The program referenced the late Rabbi Elazar Zaks, head of Hebron Yeshiva, who firmly instructed older students and married men not progressing in study to leave yeshiva and support themselves, as per their marriage contract obligations. The late Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein's opposition to establishing yeshiva high schools was also mentioned, emphasizing the classical yeshiva ideal.
A significant consumer development was presented by the founders of Wigbox, a wig retailer offering high-quality wigs priced between 2,000 and 7,000 shekels, far below the typical 15,000 to 25,000 shekel market prices. Their direct import model from China eliminates middlemen, providing over 2,000 wigs made from European, Brazilian, Mongolian, and Chinese hair. All wigs are under the strict supervision of Rabbi Shmuel Meir Gross to ensure kashrut and avoid idolatry concerns.
The program also touched on the delicate balance between faith and responsibility, sparked by a tragic infant death from infection at Maayanei HaYeshua hospital, criticizing the use of "God willed it" as an excuse to avoid accountability. Additionally, the necessity of some Haredim carrying two phones, one kosher and one regular, was explained as a survival strategy rather than hypocrisy. The show briefly addressed a recycled letter opposing musical Selichot prayer gatherings, emphasizing the value of sincere prayer.
Finally, a historical segment recounted the story of Timothy Dexter, an 18th-century Massachusetts trader who became wealthy through unconventional and seemingly absurd business ventures, illustrating unexpected success through boldness and luck.
