In June Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed into law a bill requiring homeowners associations to allow religious displays over doorways — specifically Jewish mezuzahs, cases containing parchment inscribed with passages from the Torah.
Inspired by a Jewish couple whose condo association forced them to remove a mezuzah from their doorway, Democratic state Representative Garnet Coleman introduced the bill to prohibit the banning of mezuzahs and other such religious displays in Texas.
When Perry signed the “Mezuzah Law,” it is doubtful that he expected what was to follow. Rabbi Aaron Shaffier, a certified Torah scribe living in Israel, commissioned a massive “Texas style” mezuzah from Jerusalem and named it after the governor to commemorate the law.
“I saw that Texas passed a law to override the right of condominium associations to ban mezuzahs and that it was signed by Governor Rick Perry, who at that time was not a presidential candidate yet,” Shaffier told The Daily Caller. “I thought it would be nice to make a mezuzah to commemorate that law.”
Shaffier’s Rick Perry Mezuzah is 26 inches tall, which is significant due to the fact that the Texas law only allows displays up to 25 inches. According to Shaffier, even though he was thrilled that the law passed, he found it silly that in America there were any regulations on the size of religious symbols.
“I know that the law allowed a mezuzah up to 25 inches. Which I thought on one hand was generous, and on the other hand the whole thing seemed a little ridiculous to me, that in the United States of America you need a law to protect something like a mezuzah,” he said. “So I thought it would be cute to make a mezuzah commemorating this law, but to make it 26 inches. Just to kind of poke fun, in a light hearted way, at the idea that there is such a law at all.”
While some have speculated that the existence of the Rick Perry Mezuzah demonstrates that he is a candidate Jews can support, Shaffier is quick to add that he and his shop are not supporting Perry or any other candidate. Indeed, he commissioned the Jerusalem stone prior to Perry’s announcement. (RELATED: Poll shows Perry tumbling)
“We don’t support any of the candidates, not Rick Perry or any of the other Republican candidates, or the president,” he said. “We don’t really take sides in that. This wasn’t for Rick Perry or anything like that. It was just to commemorate this very interesting saga in American history with the mezuzahs and the condominiums and this law that was done in Texas.”
The Rick Perry Mezuzah can be yours for $999 plus the cost of a scroll. A basic kosher scroll adds $36.95 to the price, a Superior scroll $68, and an Alter Rebbe Scroll $99.
Though he lives in Israel, Shaffier’s online store, The Mezuzah Store, is based in Los Angeles.