Jewish hat: types, features

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Each nation and nationality has its own traditions, culture and even outfits. For example, many people know the Jewish cap. As it is called, however, not everyone knows. And they call it "kipa", which means "dome" in Hebrew.

A bit of history

Initially, the Jews covered their heads only during prayers, thus showing respect for the Almighty. In addition, priests of temples had to wear kippahs. However, over time, they began to be revered by pious Jews. By the way, the name of the Jewish cap symbolizes a kind of highest point within the microcosm.

Features of Jewish headdresses

As for the kippah, it is either sewn or knitted and is a small round hat that covers the top of the head. It can be worn alone or worn under a top hat. If the pile is completely shallow, it is attached to the hair with hairpins. This Jewish cap must be worn during religious services, however, this is not stipulated by either the Torah or the Talmud, and therefore is not a law, but rather a custom. However, Orthodox Jews prefer to always wear a kippah, and teach children to do this from the age of 13.

As a rule, a Jewish kippah cap can tell a lot about its owner. For example, Ashkenazi Jews wear a headdress consisting of four or six wedges of black fabric with white lining. And religious Zionists prefer knitted bales of blue or white. In modern Israel, you can also find large bales, which have a prominent strip around the circumference. This suggests that the wearer of the hat identifies himself as a supporter of the teachings of Rav Abraham Yitzhak Kook.

Another popular Jewish hat has an interesting name "shtreiml". This is a black yarmulke, sewn from velvet and trimmed along the edges with sable or fox tails. In Israel, there are more than a dozen varieties of this headdress. According to the rules, shtreimls must be worn by married men, but in some families, boys wear them as early as 13 years old. By the way, the kippah is supposed to be worn on the top of the head, but many beginners try to fit it comfortably on the back of the head.

A Jewish cap, according to local customs, must be worn on important days from the point of view of religious events, for example, on the Day of Judgment or on the day of remembrance of the dead. Historical facts show that in the USSR it was possible to appear in a kippah only in the zone of the Jewish community, and even a fine was introduced for violating this rule. And today, in some countries, Jews are advised not to draw attention to themselves with colorful headdresses, especially where anti-Semitic sentiments are strong.

Not enoughwho knows, but in Russia a yarmulke was a kind of kippah. True, it had some design differences, but in general there were much more similar elements. Kneich is a popular Israeli headdress - a hat with wide brim and a longitudinal hall. As a rule, it is sewn from black felt. Usually this type of hat is worn by Lithuanian Jews. Polish Jews prefer a hat with an unusual name kapelyush: it looks like a kneich, but does not have bends and creases on the crown.