Nashville hat shop apologizes for selling yellow Jewish stars that read ‘Not Vaccinated’
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Ron Kampeas May 30, 2021
(JTA) — A Nashville hat shop apologized for selling yellow star patches opposing coronavirus vaccination policies after Stetson said it was pulling its products from the store.
HatWRKS last week posted on its Instagram account a photo of an unnamed woman, apparently the shop’s owner, wearing a yellow Star of David that read “Not Vaccinated.” During the Holocaust Nazis forced Jews to wear the same type of stars with the word “Jude,” or “Jewish.”
“5$ each…strong adhesive back,” the Instagram post said. “We’ll be offering trucker caps soon.”
NASHVILLE — Hatworks is literally selling Jewish stars that say “Not Vaccinated” — out here making MTG look tame
[email protected] (615) 678-5690 pic.twitter.com/11fN9eS5gX
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 28, 2021
The post led to outrage including a protest last week outside the store.
“Using the yellow star, or any Holocaust imagery for anything is a disservice to the memory of the 6 million Jews who were systematically murdered during the Holocaust,” Rabbi Laurie Rice of Congregation Micah in Brentwood, Tennessee, told News 4, a local NBC affiliate.
Stetson, the famous hat maker, took notice and said on Twitter Saturday night “Stetson and our distribution partners will cease the sale of all Stetson products” to hatWRKS.
The shop removed the post and apologized. “In NO WAY did I intend to trivialize the Star of David or disrespect what happened to millions of people,” the Instagram account said, hours after Stetson posted its decision.
The post Nashville hat shop apologizes for selling yellow Jewish stars that read ‘Not Vaccinated’ appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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