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1
Purchase LA Shaimos boxes at one of our partner locations
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2
Fill up boxes with your shaimos on the spot or at home
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3
Leave the full, sealed boxes at the partner location
Our services
Select the service that works best for you. Please see our guide below to better understand our various box options.
The Drop-off
Ideal for individuals with a couple small piles of shaimos
Starting at
a box
$20
How it works
boxes & prices
$20 per LA Shaimos “Drop-off” box measuring 12x10x6”
$36 per LA Shaimos “Drop-off Plus” box measuring 15x12x10”
SERVICE INFORMATION
Empty boxes are included in the pricing
We only accept LA Shaimos Drop-off or Drop-off Plus boxes purchased at a partner location for this service
Boxes must be purchased and dropped off at the same partner location
This service has a $20 minimum
The Pick-up
Ideal for institutions & individuals with a bulk of shaimos that is packed up and ready to go
Starting at
a box
$40
How it works
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1
Use your own boxes
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2
Fill up boxes with your shaimos at home
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3
We’ll pick-up your full, sealed boxes at the scheduled time
boxes & prices
$40 per “Movers” box measuring approx. 16×12.5×12.5”
$55 per “Oversized” box measuring between 17x13x13” – 19x15x15”
SERVICE INFORMATION
You may use boxes that you have on hand as long as they are no larger than 19x15x15”
Boxes larger than Oversized boxes (19x15x15”) will be repacked into “Movers” boxes & charged at The Full Service rate
This service has a $120 minimum
The Full Service
Ideal for institutions & individuals with a lot of shaimos and limited time
Starting at
a box
$45
How it works
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1
We’ll bring boxes to your location
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2
We’ll pack up your shaimos
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3
We’ll remove the shaimos filled boxes that same day
boxes & prices
$45 per “Drop-off Plus” box measuring 15x12x10”
SERVICE INFORMATION
Empty boxes are included in the pricing
This service has a $135 minimum
Got a large order? Contact us for a custom quote
Box size guide
Refer to the size guide below for the dimensions, in inches, of the different types of boxes we offer or accept
Our partner locations
For the Drop-off service only: purchase and drop off filled and sealed boxes at one of the following locations
The Mitzvah Store
Phone:
House of David
Upcoming events
Check out our upcoming events for other opportunities to clear your shaimos
29
March, 2026
Shaimos Drive
You can either drop off pre packed boxes of shaimos or bring your shaimos, purchase boxes and fill them up on the spot.
9:00 - 1:00 PM
29
March, 2026
Shaimos Drive
You can either drop off pre packed boxes of shaimos or bring your shaimos, purchase boxes and fill them up on the spot.
Contact us
Reach out via phone, email or the form below
What our clients say
LA Shaimos has been a longtime, trusted partner of ours. They are highly reliable, pick up quickly, and are super friendly.
-Gindi Maimonides Academy
LA Shamois is the one-stop Shaimos service that LA has been waiting for. The staff is excellent, very customer-service focused, and makes the mitzvah of dealing with Shaimos a breeze.
-Yeshiva Aharon Yaakov Ohr Eliyahu
Since we’ve partnered with LA Shaimos we have felt confident and comforted that our Shaimos has been handled in the best manner possible. Their service and adherence to Halacha is excellent.
-Emek Hebrew Academy
About us
We are a Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to helping the Jewish community solve its shaimos problem. In Jewish tradition, religious objects such as Torah scrolls and prayer books that are damaged, unusable, or no longer needed, must be disposed of in a respectful manner, as they are considered sacred. Proper disposal methods can include burying the shaimos in a designated area, or placing it in a special storage area for eventual burial.
Unfortunately, the Los Angeles Jewish community never created a system to handle its shaimos and years worth of sacred texts began to pile up. Late in 2021, LA Shaimos began with a mission to help families, synagogues, schools, and religious organizations minimize and properly dispose of their shaimos in a convenient and respectful manner. We began by shipping large amounts of shaimos to neighboring states and when that became too much we opened a 2.5 acre geniza where shaimos can be disposed of respectfully. Our team understands the significance of shaimos, and we handle each collection with the utmost care and sensitivity. When you choose LA Shaimos, you can trust that your shaimos will be treated with the respect and expertise it deserves.
Frequently asked questions
What is shaimos?
Here is a condensed list of items that must be placed in shaimos, based on the Star-K’s guidelines:
1. A Sefer Torah. (LA Shaimos does NOT accept Sefer Torahs)
2. Sefer Torah covers
3. Tefillin, tefillin bags, mezuzas, mezuzah covers, siddurim, and bentchers
4. Sefarim: handwritten, printed, or photocopied, Sefer covers
5. Detached pages of a sefer (And parts of the pages of a sefer, even if there is no writing or print on it)
6. Binding tape that fell off a sefer
7. A Torah quote (from tanach, chazal, rishonim or achronim) printed or written with the intention of explaining Torah, or Torah thought
8. Invitations that contain parts of pesukim that are there to convey Torah
(Wedding invitations with the quote “Kol Sason Ve’kol Simcha” are NOT shaimos)
9. Three consecutive words of a pasuk from tanach that have been written in one line, with the intention of quoting tanach
10. Any paper or material on which is written one of the names of Hashem
(The Hebrew letters BS”D (B’siyata D’shmaya) may definitely be put into the trash. Hebrew letters IY”H, BE”H, and B”H may be discarded according to halacha, although it is considered an act of piety to tear off those letters and put them into shaimos.)
For a more detailed explanation of this list and instructions on what to do with other items related to mitzvot, visit the Star-K’s website at https://www.star-k.org/articles/kashrus-kurrents/4476/shaimos-guidelines/.
Any further questions regarding what constitutes shaimos should be directed to your local Orthodox Rabbi.
What kinds of shaimos do you accept?
We accept all forms of shaimos except for Sefer Torahs. Larger items such as an Aaron Kodesh would require a special order.
Do the boxes need to be a specific size? Can I use my own boxes?
For the drop-off service, you must purchase our LA Shaimos branded boxes at one of our partner locations. We have two sizes for this service:
– Drop-off boxes are 12x10x6” (Perfect for an individual with a few shaimos items)
– Drop-off Plus boxes are 15x12x10”
For the Pick-up option, you may use your own boxes. For this service, we accept two sizes of boxes:
– Movers boxes are the size of U-Haul small moving boxes and are 16×12.5×12.5”
– Oversized boxes are between 17x13x13” and 19x15x15”. Please note, any box larger than these measurements will be repacked into one of our standard Movers and will be charged at the Full Service rate
For the Full Service option, we will provide boxes
Prices vary depending on the box size and service chosen. Please see the services page for a full list of pricing.
What happens to the shaimos you collect?
First, we try to sort through the shaimos to the best of our abilities to salvage anything that is still in good condition. Those items are set aside to be sold or donated. We then move all the shaimos to our 2½ acre Geniza where it is securely stored. Eventually, we plan to bury the shaimos on the land
Are you under any supervision?
We work closely with Rabbi Eidelitz and the Chevrah Kedisha of Los Angeles to ensure that everything is done in accordance with Halacha.
Who have you worked with?
We have worked with most major organizations in Los Angeles including but not limited to The Orthodox Union, The Chevrah Kadisha, Yeshiva Gedolah, Maimonides Academy, Ohr Eliyahu, Adas Torah, Emek Hebrew Academy, Shalhevet High School, Yula (boys and girls), Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon, and Beit Betzalel.