I am writing as a local woman who has spent the past several weeks trying to purchase a sheitel and finding the experience far more complicated than it should be.
The sheitel market today is thriving. Advertisements appear everywhere: in magazines, on social media, in community papers. The photography is beautiful, the styles are varied, and the prices span every budget. What is conspicuously absent from almost all of these ads, however, is any mention of kosher certification confirming that the hair does not originate from Hindu avoda zara ceremonies in India — the very issue that sent the sheitel world into upheaval over twenty years ago and that many poskim continue to treat as a serious halachic concern.
Like many women, I follow the guidance of my rav, who, along with numerous other rabbanim, advises purchasing only a sheitel with a reliable hashgacha. So I did what any conscientious consumer would do: I started calling. And here is what surprised me. Many of these companies do, in fact, hold a kosher certification. The information exists. It simply isn’t being shared.
I understand that advertising space is limited and that companies want to lead with their most appealing features. But for a frum woman trying to be tznius while also ensuring she is not inadvertently wearing hair that may be assur, knowing the certification status is not a minor detail — it is often the deciding factor.
Every kosher food establishment, from a small takeout shop to a large catering hall, displays its hashgacha prominently.
Sheitel companies should take the same approach. If you have a hashgacha, say so in your ad. List the certifying rav or organization. Make it easy to verify. The women purchasing your product are not asking for anything unreasonable — they are asking for the same basic transparency they receive from every kosher restaurant in their neighborhood.
I hope this letter reaches sheitel retailers and encourages them to make this small but meaningful change.
A Concerned Woman
The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.
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32 Responses
I mean unless you’re naive you do know that 90% of the wigs being sold are not kosher lengths acc to every rav walking this planet. The entire industry is run by secular people more or less and Italian or French owners. Could anyone care less? This is a lost battle
A Secretary in a wig salon telling you over the phone that they a certificate/hechsher from a Rabbi is very different than actually writing it out there on an advertisement for the whole world to see.
Just proves to you how “real” the hechsher is
I agree. Rabbi Felder from Lakewood says to get with a Hashgacha.
I think its important to be aware that many of the hashgachos given on the human hair wigs have been proven to be very unreliable.
Just because a company tells you that they have a hashgacha does not mean that the hair is “kosher” and is not coming from India.
Rav Elyashiv zt”l and other Gedolim made it clear that the only way for human hair to be allowed is for the hair to be watched from the time of the cutting (literally off the womens heads) until the final production of the wig. Almost all the hashgachos on human hair wigs only have the hair watched from the time the hair is purchased (at human hair markets), there is no definitive proof that the hair is not from India. Many hashgachos will say that they watch the hair from “start to finish”, but when questioned further they will admit that it’s not from the time of the cutting
The human hair industry is flooded with Indian hair as there are millions of Indian women that cut their hair off by the temples every year. It is the largest source of high quality, Remy human hair in the world (this is the type of hair needed for sheitels). Indian hair is genetically similar to European hair and is constantly relabeled as “European”, “South American” etc…. The human hair industry is very corrupt and unless one sees the hair being cut off a womans head, there is no way to know the true origin of the hair
All this info and more can be found in the pamphlet “Today’s Sheitels in Halacha”- a halachic essay about Indian sheitels posted on the Star K website:
https://www.star-k.org/articles/kashrus-kurrents/16164/sheitel-controversy-addl-info/
My dear friends,
We are completely missing the point.
YWN already published a letter signed by the leading Litvishe Gedolim in America—Rabbanim such as R’ Brody, R’ M. Kotler, R’ Forscheimer, R’ Feldman, and others—following the initiative of the Litvishe Rabbanim in Eretz Yisroel. Their position was not vague, nuanced, or open for interpretation. It was clear: sheitels should be replaced with a tichel. Full stop. They DID NOT recommend a Hshgacha on these products! This is not a discussion about hashgachos, certifications, or which sheitel is “better.” When Gedolim issue a directive, we don’t look for loopholes—we listen.
Let’s be honest about tznius. It is not a technical checklist of sleeve lengths and sheitel lenght. Tznius is a mindset, a demeanor, a way of carrying oneself. When young women wear sheitels designed to imitate Hollywood aesthetics, it doesn’t stay external—it shapes behavior. It affects how one presents herself, how one speaks, and how one interacts. The louder, more provocative tone we sometimes see is not coincidental. I have personally observed out of town communities where women may not cover their hair at all, yet their conduct is more reserved and dignified than what we sometimes see in places like Monsey, Brooklyn, and Lakewood. That should give us pause. A hechsher on a sheitel does not address this issue—it misses it entirely.
The uncomfortable truth is that once significant mamon and large עסקי interests enter the picture, clarity becomes inconvenient. And too often, the words of the Gedolim are pushed aside.
YWN has already published these letters, perhaps it’s time to publish them again—because clearly, they are being ignored.
May Hashem Help us strip away the influence of “Esav in Hollywood” from within us, especially during these ימים קדושים of Sefirah.
Ask your own Rav, but there is no hair that is assur anymore.
Unfortunately no one can promise you that the hair has been supervised from the time the hair is cut until the final production of the shaitel as food is supervised. So in all honesty tjese tags on the shaitels claiming that they are kosher are unreliable and easily reproduced in China, Europe etc. The fact of the matter is that when you research the matter thoroughly you will cone to learn that India is the number one provider flooding the market with hair due to the tonsuring (avoda zara) The wig manufacturing business is lucrative and dishonest. We do not have a complete supervision as we do for food and you are correct for noticing!
I sent a link from the star K explaining this above. I’ll try to find it. That so the only argument that makes any sense
https://www.star-k.org/articles/kashrus-kurrents/16283/the-sheitel-controversy/
This article is very well written.
Btw I found the above 70 page pamphlet on the star k website and others too.
Why Don’t Sheitel Advertisements Have Hashgachos On Them?
Very simple: most of them are treif.
It’s like asking why doesn’t McDonald’s have a hashgacho.
Because you’re an adult and you can see the sheitel in front of your face. You need to take responsibility for yourself sometimes.
Does this affect the viewer? When looking at a married woman, lo aleinu, how does one know one is not staring at tikroves avoda zorah?!
Is it considered OK to ask the lady about the heksher? In a very concise way “ma zeh”, as Beruriah taught the student who was either flirting or actually did not have a GPS.
rebEmes customarily disparages in a wholesale manner numerous frum erlich yidden by writing “The entire industry is run by secular people more or less and Italian or French owners”. RebEmes has no regard of loshon hara, motzi shem ra or writing sheker. He criticizes the shmiras mitzvos of others, while ignoring his own prikus ol, as he routinely disparages individuals, keholos, rabbonim and large swaths of klal yisroel, just like any other typical antisemite, while incorrectly thinking he can hide behind an anonymous user name, which can easily be tracked, as done to Sheldon Stern, sued for $30m for defamation and slanderoys comments against Chabad and other gedolim.
To Ahava:
“When Gedolim issue a directive, we don’t look for loopholes—we listen.”
Really? YOu mean when Gedolim issue a directive we agree with. Gedolim of the previous generation spoke louldy against the Derech Halimud in the Yeshivos; did anybody listen? The Gedolim are speaking about excessive spending for Simchos, etc; is anybody listening? The fact is that we DON’T listen to the Gedolim; we follow what WE want (if the Gedolim happen to agree, so much the better but it’s not necessary)
Regarding Sheitels; Women are the “low-hanging fruit”. It’s easy to gang up on the ladies and complain about Sheitels, tznius, etc. They have nobody to speak up for them. Tznius is also an issue for men (loud behaviour, improper dress, etc) but you NEVER hear anything about that.
And rebbitzenNosepicker has zero regard for any of the rabbanim that have cried about the sad state of tznius in the wigs of today. Go enjoy the wealth made off innocent peoples backs you’re just as corrupt as the wholesalers
I’m actually one of the most respectful commenters of rabbis and Learners of Torah today on this forum. Go ahead and threaten me with defamation for speaking against Bennett or other traitors of Judaism I will not stop rebbitzen. Your secular and leftist Friends won’t get me to back down from standing up for the truth
rebEmes speaks in generalities without particularizations, like claiming, “the rabbanim that have cried about the sad state of tznius in the wigs of today”, without providing the name of even one rov, an exact quote, and importantly, the context. Instead he makes sweeping disparaging comments against the kedusha of our holy bnos yisroel, as he is mikatreg and prosecutes our mother’s, sisters, wives and daughters, claiming to speak for “every rav walking this planet”. I am unsure if that arrogance, foolishness, hatefulness or being a moron, but I am certain it trangresses a list of d’oraysa prohibitions, starting with loshon hora against the masses, followed by many other avairos that are far more explicit. This method is rebEmes’s shita of “frumkeit”, to disparage others frumness, while transgressing publicly himself. Just like Sheldon Stern, the whole tooth.
rebEmes is very immature as evidenced by his need to resort to toddler style name calling, by calling me ” rebbitzenNosepicker “, which is also a sign of his inferior intelligence. This is consistent with his making disparaging comments against yidden, klal yisroel, bnos yisroel, Chabad, Dirshu, Adirei Torah, gedolim and general values of halacha that he decided are unimportant. Those who hate, hate all of us and seek to undermine us. Maybe he should join Tucker Carlson. They would make a good chavrusa.
@Always_Ask_Questions:
“…as Beruriah taught the student who was either flirting or actually did not have a GPS.”
WTH? That was Rabi Yossi HaGelili, not a “student”, and he obviously was not flirting!! He spoke four words, a normal question, rather than ultra-short two words, as “biEizeh derech…” instead of “biEizeh liLud”
When someone has extremely low self esteem and a major chip on his shoulder, he needs to self congratulate himself and claim greatness, as rebEmes wrote, “I’m actually one of the most respectful commenters of rabbis and Learners of Torah today on this forum.” This is evidence of his complete lack of self worth, like the insane person telling everyone that he is normal. I suspect him to also of being a complete moron but I don’t want to be choshed b’shotim.
Rebbitzen moron, can’t find any court records of this fictional 30 million defamation lawsuit you speak about against the dentist Sheldon Stern. Sorry to tell you but it’s a figment of your imagination to think that any cord is going to award even a cent to someone who is upset about someone else’s comments online. Go ahead and waste your time maybe they’ll give you the tissue box in my bathroom. I’m not afraid of idiots like you
And also you’re seriously confusing me with somebody else. I only speak positively about all the groups you’ve just mentioned. Maybe you mean dr.goyy or that apokores IsraeliYid, I never talk against gedolei yisrael unless it’s fake liberals like Rav Stav who belittled rav Yirzchak Yosef on TV, someone like that I will spit on their grave
rebEmes, Sheldon Stern of Manhattan, the whole tooth, good gezugt – all banned from VIN, now polluting this YWN site with their anti-chareidi trolling, as they spew hate against other yidden, gedolim, the olom haTorah, like all resha’im and sonei yisroel.
Joseph Goebbels,
You’re treif and not even Jewish since your close relative was a Nazi pig!
“Speaking against Bennett or other traitors of Judaism I will not stop”, writes rebEmes. But the problem is when he is speaking against R’ Moshe Feinstein z”l, the Lubavitcher Rebbe z”l, the Satmar Rebbuh, R’ Malkiel Kotler shlita, R’ Elya Brundy shlita, Chabad, Agudas Yisroel, Moetzes, Dirshu, Adirei Torah, Olom Hayeshivos…rebEmes keeps talking against them and is repeatedly disparaging klal yisroel. He doesn’t go against all of them at one time. He picks at them one at a time. This time, he is knocking bnos yisroel, our mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters, making them all sound untznius, like a moredes, a sotah. Shame on us to be exposed to such vile trash.
So “rebEmes” is actually “the whole tooth”! Yep, saying that he is dentist gave you away!! You ain’t very smart, are you?! Checkmate. I am sure BMG Guy would like to know that. I will send him a message. He and the Satmar Gang have lawyer Rachel Herman filing a lawsuit for $30M against Sheldon Stern for slanderous defamation against Chabad, Rabbis Cunin and Manis Friedman, after tracking the IP’s, SSID, email, addresses, passwords. You can’t hide!
Hey dudes! I have an awwwweeeesommee idea- grow your own hair and instead of donating it to Chai lifeline, use it to make a shaitel.
Last I checked, no one is eating a wig. I may be wrong.
Please bring me an example of me ever speaking against any of those holy names I’m begging you. I really believe you have confused me with someone else. I’m actually giving you the benefit of a doubt that you’re confusing me with someone else. If you find one comment anywhere in this entire place where I have shown disrespect for one of those rabbis or institutions please post it for us publicly. You should apologize to me for being completely wrong about my views I’m the most pro charedi anti draft commenter here
A Bochur who makes his wife wear a Peah nochrit, rather than the required Mitpachat (that our mothers have been wearing since the day the Torah was given and even beforehand until recently) is legitimately amalek in the flesh. Not my words, but Rav Ovadia Yosef’s Zs’l. It is not a sefardi vs Ashkenazi divide, Not a single Ashkenazi posek today allows wigs. Rav elyashiv, Reb Chaim kanievsky, Rav Aharon and Malkiel kotler, Reb Shach, Rav Moshe sternbuch, no one today or in the past 30 years has allowed it. Let’s be honest, and stop trying to fool ourselves and making our wives look like Sota’s, chv’s. Do you people honestly believe that Moshe rabbeinu or any of chazal would be ok with women covering their hair with another person’s hair? Not to talk about the Indian Avoda zarah problem that all wigs have, including so called synthetic ones that have up to 10-30% real hair. Thats like a man wearing a bodysuit to cover his chest area. Yes it is the equivalent, since Hair on a married woman is 100% Ervah al pi Halacha. In fact the Shulchan aruch says that unmarried girls should cover their hair also in public. Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer 21:2 “Lo teichlna Bnot Yisroel pru’os Rosh, achas Penuya achas Eshet ish” both single, and married.
Frumshmurda718. Hyperbolic positions that you are writing on here serve no real purpose and are not going to influence anyone to change. Also plenty of ashkenazi poskim are fine with sheitals and each person should ask their own LOR and do what’s right for them
rebEmes, you asked for “an example of me ever speaking against any of those holy names I’m begging you. I really believe you have confused me with someone else” – the most recent example was: April 11, 2026 11:10 pm at 11:10 pm, rebEmes says: “Hopefully some of the people there will wake up and realize certain practices going on there invite Danger from heaven”, a disparaging comment against Chabad. Thus proof that you are a blatant shakran! Shmeil of BMG Guy is right, you are a POS.
“emetsealofhashem,” and “rebEmes,” and “The whole tooth” are all the same person. Notice that all these names have emet, emes, truth in them! And we all know who he is.