Image by wikimedia

By Naomi Zeveloff May 10, 2017

Rabbis at the leading Israeli center for Jewish law and technology have given a kosher stamp of approval for kids to use popular hand-held spinner toys on the Sabbath.

The Scientific Institute of Technology in Jerusalem, which both reviews and creates technology in accordance with Jewish legal codes, issued a ruling on the use of spinners after rabbis there noticed kids playing with the toy. Several Orthodox individuals had also written to the center with queries about the spinner, according to Israeli news site Ynet.

The rabbis put the spinner through a “comprehensive technological and halachic examination” and determined that it is permissible to use it on the Sabbath. The only caveat is if the spinner has lights. Because the spinner’s movement is what turns on the light, the person doing the spinning would technically be doing work, a no-go on the Jewish day of rest.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Children should not bring the spinner into synagogue, the rabbis noted in their assessment, “in order not to harm the sanctity of the place.”

The inventor of the toy says she created it an alternative activity for Palestinian youth instead of throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers.

Contact Naomi Zeveloff at [email protected] or on Twitter @naomizeveloff

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount