Addressing the dilemma of being a tefillin-wearing Vegan

‘Being a Jewish vegan is generally fairly easy to do: keeping kosher is simpler, one’s relationship to animals and the planet is richer, and the cost of feeding a family can be lower as well. My wife, Shoshana, and I became vegan on our wedding day, over a decade ago, and it’s been one of the best decisions of our lives. Amid all the benefits, though, I’ve found one apparent dilemma in my practice of Jewish veganism:the mitzvah of tefillin. ‘ – writes Rabbi Dr Shmuly Yanklowitz in this Times of Israel piece .