SHTREIMEL....Chassidic Levush or also a FAD

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 21 2005 Posts: 2983

Have you also realized that Shtreimels are not only a Chassidic Levush but it's become some sort of fad?
I have some family and friends who wear Shtreimels because they think it's a very pretty Levush. I know couples who said they consider themselves Chassidish because their husbands wear a shtreimel but otherwise don't consider themselves Chassidish. And also non-Chassidic girls who wanted a husband who'd wear a shtreimel because it's a nice levush.

lol when I saw shtreimel in the controversial section I thought you were refering to the blog

Platinum Member Joined: Sep 20 2004 Posts: 17151

Blossom - are you saying that there are men who wear a shtreimel whose fathers don't? Or men who wear a shtreimel who are not from chasidishe families or associate with a particular chasidus?

no, I have never heard of that

I'm guessing that the people you are talking about are "modern Chasidish" who actually have fathers or grandfathers who wore chasidishe levush.

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 21 2005 Posts: 2983

Gold Member Joined: May 18 2005 Posts: 1254

What about gartels? I have seen people wear them (or start to wear them) who are not chassidish at all.
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Gold Member Joined: Feb 13 2006 Posts: 1122 Location: uk

yeh iv heard of that, wearing a shtreimel cos one thinks its cool....and is otherwise not chassidish at all really.

Silver Member Joined: Mar 06 2006 Posts: 909

I was just discussing something similar with my husband. I know men that were not brought up chasidish but now consider themselves chasidish who wear streimels. these men look chasidish- ie beards , peyos.

but recently I have seen men wearing bekashas on shabbos with either a trimmed beard or no beard and their boys, over 3, are also wearing bekashas on shabbos. I had never seen this before.

Moderator Joined: Dec 26 2005 Age: 33 Posts: 11430

Executive Member Joined: May 23 2005 Posts: 439

Well, yeah, a lot of men wear shtreimels who weren't brought up Khasidish. Maybe they're ba'alei teshuva. Are BTs who become Khasidish as they go through their teshuva not allowed to wear Khasidish levush?

News to me. Huh. Learn something new every day.

I know the inyan about following what your father did is a strong one. But what about if your learning takes you to a different place? Why do you have to follow your father?

A brief story: When DH first went to get the scrolls for the new mezuzas he wanted to put on his door, he was in Israel and went into a store, and was told by the proprietor, "No, you can't have those, they're Sefardi, you have to do what your father did." DH's father put mezuza cases on his doors, but didn't know to put in scrolls. When late in life he learned that scrolls belonged in them, the one he got was paper, ie., not kosher anyway.

So why is DH required to follow his father?

And what about his grandfathers? One was socialist. The other rebelled against his Khasidish grandfather. Who himself (family legend says) rebelled against his Litvish (from Ponovetz, no less) father.

And btw, shtreimels themselves are a fad altogether, taken from Polish nobility. So what's the judgmentalness about who can wear them or not?

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 21 2005 Posts: 2983

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 21 2005 Posts: 2983

Defy I'm not sure but I remember reading that he has found inner-peace and is finding his way back and thus will be ending his blog.

Silver Member Joined: Mar 06 2006 Posts: 909

Moderator Joined: Dec 26 2005 Age: 33 Posts: 11430

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Thanks Motek. Smile

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 27 2005 Posts: 2860

In stolin the Rebbe saw that many chassanim wld put on shtreimlich either because their fil (not a stoliner ) wanted it though their father didn't wear one or the chassan wld just decide that it's nice. the Rebbe started a campaign against it for the most part. he said "were it our minhag we wld wear it but our minhag was that only the Rebbe or chassidim living in yerushalayim wear it" and BH it cut down most of the shtreimlich......

Yup, in some circles shtreimel & gartel seem to be cool... There's also this trend of being Breslev (or saying you are). I don't know why.

Diamond Member Joined: Oct 24 2005 Posts: 4689

it seems to be the new "shtick" in my son's yeshiva for bocherim to start wearing a gartel even though almost all the bocherim are of Litvish or Yekkish descent and from families that have been frum for as long as anyone can remember.

Platinum Member Joined: Sep 11 2004 Posts: 19241

a gartel many people have adopted, there are reasons we wear a gartel.
but a shtreimel?

is there a specific reason to wear a shtreimel besides for it being a minhag? (im asking out of ignorance, can anyone Chaseedish answer me?)

im personally not impressed by people who adopt others minhagim as a fad. I think it shows disrespect to the minhag.
what happens when the fad disappears? do the shtreimlach disappear too? Confused