I think the quickest response to your question is simply that since Shatnez is a biblical law, it is observed by each denomination the way each one generally observes biblical laws.  Use kashrut or Shabbat observance as your guide - does the particular denomination observe this set of laws?  If so, how strictly, etc.  What needs to be clarified, then, is two issues: 1. How does one observe Shatnez, and 2. Is Shatnez really equivalent to keeping Kosher and Shabbat in most people's eyes? 

 

As for number 1, There are Shatnez 'labs' that do accept swatches from people who are looking to purchase a suit or coat, and will determine whether there are minimal amounts of fibers from each category.  Those who choose to follow that strictly will look to those labs before they buy their clothing, especially if it is a wool suit.  (If it is a cotton t-shirt, it seems unnecessary.)  I cannot say for certain who is using these laboratories, but I have not seen it used in the Reform, Reconstructionist or Conservative communities, and frankly, only rarely in the modern Orthodox community. I do believe that people of all denominations who adhere to Jewish laws do look on the labels of their garments with an eye to making sure wool and linen are not mixed in. 

 

As for number 2, i do believe that Kashrut  and Shabbat have attained  much higher statuses in eyes of the Jewish people, and while technically they are both extremely important - Shatnez has not been given much attention in schools and synagogues. 

Take a ride on a public bus in Jerusalem, and you will see a good part of your answer.   There will be a sign up that quotes a verse from the Bible (Leviticus, 19:32): "Before the white head (i.e., a person with white hair from old age) you should rise."  This verse doesn't just tell you to give up your prime seat for the elderly - it continues: "...and you should give respect to the elderly. You shall fear the Lord, I am your God."  One way to read this is, just as you should have respect and fear for God, so you should have respect for the elders. 

 

Indeed, in the earliest Jewish traditions, our wisest sages and judges were referred to simply by the term 'Zekeinim' - which translates simply to 'elders.'  Thus it can be assumed that with age, comes wisdom - and what is to be honored more than wisdom?

 

If you look at a number of our biblical stories, you will note than many of our ancestors did their best 'work' in their old age.  Abraham and Sarah were given a child in their 90s (actually, Abraham was older), and Jacob reconciles with Esau after a very rocky youth, midrashically, Moses is around 80 when he is sent to deliver the people from Egypt and there are countless other examples. Rabbinic literature is filled with numerous examples of elderly sages imparting their wisdom, and of people who have been rewarded for respecting and honoring their elderly parents.  There are too many examples to recount here, so I turn you back to the original biblical source.  Why should we respect the elderly?  Because you shall fear the Lord - I am YOUR God! 

Some Jews follow the custom known as Upsherin, that celebrates a boy’s first haircut at the age of three. In the long history of Jewish ritual, this custom is fairly new - originating with the Kabbalists (Jewish mystics) as recently as the late 16th or early 17th century. Connected to the holiday of Lag B’Omer, boys would not only receive their first haircuts, but that day would also mark the beginning of their formal Jewish education.

 

Today, the upsherin ritual tends to be followed mainly by some Hasidic sects, however, it has gained a small measure of popularity with individuals across the denominational spectrum. There are different reasons given for the upsherin tradition: The first reason has to do with the law of Orlah, which teaches that one cannot take fruit from a fruit-bearing tree until after 3 years. Since Deuteronomy 20:19 has been interpreted to mean that a man is ’like a tree in the field,’ he too should not have his hair cut until he is three. Another reason may be connected to the idea that demons would be trying to hurt this young boy (especially the demon, Lilith), so therefore his parents would want to confuse the demons by making him look like a girl, with long locks of hair. Some suggest that since three is the age of wearing kippah and tallit katan, this previously unprotected child would now be safe to cut his hair after this age.

 

As for the question of why some denominations might not be observing this ritual equally, I would suggest a couple of different answers: It is a fairly new ritual, not to be found in the Torah, nor in most classic codes of Jewish law. It is not a law but rather, a custom, which implies that there is an element of choice involved. Also, since it seems to have been handed down by kabbalists, only streams of Judaism which were entrenched in kabbalistic thought and practice would have made this a priority. Upsherin is also geared only to boys – to their education, and to their ‘unique’ religious gear, and therefore may not speak to those wishing to raise their children in a more egalitarian setting. Lastly, while there are those who love this ritual not only because of the Orlah connection but also because it marks the beginning of the boy’s Jewish education, many are turned off by the connection of this ritual to Lilith and to demons.

 

Rabbi Iscah Waldman