The US Guide to Shaimos Compiled by Dayan Elimelech Vanzetta, Rabbinical Administrator and Halachic Advisor, US Burial Society Discarding of Holy items must be done in accordance with Jewish Law The US Guide to Shaimos The following items are shaimos. The following items should be wrapped in a plastic bag Contact your local community for further information. and then discarded in a normal domestic bin. • Sefer Torah • Bimah Cover • Bessamim • Old Menorahs • Megillah • Parochet • Calendar containing Divrei Torah • Velvet Tallit Bag • Mezuzah (Parchment) • Photocopies of pages of Siddurim and • Book with photos of Rabbanim that also • All Divrei Torah and Torah articles from • Tefillin Parshiot (Parchment) Sefarim contain some Divrei Torah weekly publications, photocopies and notes which were NOT meant to be kept (e.g. were Any other Scriptures written by a Sofer on • Notebook of DIvrei Torah (remove blank • Newspapers and magazines which contain • made to be used only temporarily). If they parchment pages) Torah articles contain biblical verses or Holy names, they Parshah Sheets and Divrei Torah meant to Kiddush Cup • Animated Children’s Halacha Sefer • • should be cut and sent to Shaimos. be kept • Benschers/Birkonim • Sefarim (including the jacket) • Binder containing Divrei Torah (meant to be kept) • Sefarim Set Box (not the cardboard The following items are not shaimos and can disposable ones) • Book Cover Protectors (fabric or paper) be discarded. • Tallit • Chumash, Printed Megillot, Sefer Tehilim and any other printed Scripture • Tefillat HaDerech Card Chumash Sheet • Tefillin Boxes and Straps • • Book Mark used to mark pages of Sefarim • Photos of Holy Places without pesukim or Illustration of Torah with Captions • Tefillin Velvet Bag • • Calendar from Jewish Organisations not Divrei Torah Tzitzit (strings - ideally, they should be • Invitation with Psukim (cut out and send us • containing Divrei Torah • Sefirat HaOmer charts and calendars the Psukim only, then the invitation may be reused for a Mitzvah, the garment itself may • CD, DVD, Cassettes • Story books of Jewish Values discarded normally) be discarded normally) • Challah Cover (but no Divrei Torah) • Mezuzah Case and Plastic Wrapping • Yizkor books (remove all pages with people’s names and send us only the prayers) • Gartel (for davening) • Tallit Plastic Outer Bag School work and projects with Divrei Torah, • • Tefillin Plastic Outer Bag Psukim and Halachot, Sedra questions and • Book with photos of Rabbanim that do NOT quizzes and Jewish Studies exam papers contain Divrei Torah • Tzedakkah Box • Photos of Rabbanim • Kippah • Kittel • The Garment of a Tallit Kattan • Jewish newspapers and magazines with • Nails and Screws from Mezuzah Boxes NO Divrei Torah To arrange for your shaimos to be disposed of appropriately, please contact your local community. For contact details please go to www.theus.org.uk/communities.