Gaza Tailor Sews Up Niche Making Yarmulkes For Observant Israelis
Image by Getty Images
It’s not easy doing business from Gaza but tailor Mohammad Abu Shanab has found a demand he can supply — his sewing factory is churning out religious skull caps, for devout Jewish men.
Since Israel resumed importing clothing from Gaza in 2015, Abu Shanab has renewed commercial contacts to sell merchandise to neighboring Israel. With salaries in Gaza much lower, Abu Shanab’s costs are very competitive.
“We make all kinds of clothes and recently began making the skull caps that are worn by Israeli rabbis and Christian priests,” said Abu Shanab, adding that as far as Gazans were concerned, religion was not an obstacle.
“In the foundation of our religion, we believe in Christianity and Judaism … so we have no problem making the headwear even if they are for Jews or Christians.”
Abu Shanab, 61, has sent 400 skull caps, also known as kippot or yarmulkes, and 1,000 bow ties to his Israeli client. Abu Shanab said he is also in talks to produce the long coats worn by ultra-Orthodox Jews.
“Today I have 50 workers and I can increase it to 100,” he said.—Reuters
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forward’s award-winning journalism during our High Holiday Monthly Donor Drive.
If you’ve turned to the Forward in the past 12 months to better understand the world around you, we hope you will support us with a gift now. Your support has a direct impact, giving us the resources we need to report from Israel and around the U.S., across college campuses, and wherever there is news of importance to American Jews.
Make a monthly or one-time gift and support Jewish journalism throughout 5785. The first six months of your monthly gift will be matched for twice the investment in independent Jewish journalism.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
