Spanish retailer apologizes to Orthodox

A Spanish retailer has apologized to fervently Orthodox Jews for selling garments that violate the prohibition of mixing wool and linen.A spokesman for the retail giant Zara confirmed Tuesday that it had removed the offending men’s suits from its shelves, the Guardian of London reported. Jewish law prohibits wearing garments made from a blend of wool and linen, known as shatnez. About 40 or 50 Israeli clients complained about the shatnez suits. Zara is the leading fashion retail chain in Israel, with 15 stores, 900 employees and $340 million in annual sales. The company placed advertisements in fervently Orthodox media to apologize for what it said was a production error.”Zara’s client base is so broad that we don’t want to leave anybody out, much less insult anybody,” a Zara spokesman said.