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Kipot, Yarmulkes - or Not
NMB, Florida March 15, 2002 A.H.
Schectman
THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on Issues, Ideas and Reflections on the Times. Published Now and
Then. Opinions Pro or Con Are Welcome.
KIPOT, YARMULKES - OR NOT
Customs are curious. We do things because - well, we just do them. Take
wearing a little hat to pray. This evening Carol and I went to a
celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Temple Sinai Day School. There
were children's choirs, the Cantor, the children's choir leader with her
guitar and a musician playing the Clavinola. It was an interesting evening
service.
Carol was one of the ushers. She was asked to pass out the Temple
Bulletin, a children's' prayer book, a very nice bookmark and a magnetized
card to put on your refrigerator. She also had some nice "kipot", small
white leather hats with the logo of the Day School on them. I noticed that
while I declined to wear one, there were only a couple of other men who
chose not to and only two women wore them. These were the Rabbi and the
children's music director. So, there were about half of the congregation
who did not wear a head covering. I note that only half needed them in order
to pray.
I remember way back in the first half of last century when in a Reform
Temple (whose services had the quality of "High" Episcopalian practices)
where men were asked to remove hats when they came in. I was trained for my
Bar Mitzvah by an Orthodox Rabbi and had attended religious school in a
Conservative Temple. But, I have no memory of needing a head covering in my
studies of how to pray.
Today, with women's rights still a burning issue I notice that our Rabbi
wears a kipa although none of the other female religious do so. The
practice I remember of women wearing a lace doily type of covering has not
persisted. Taking ones' hat off in a Church is still required but women
customarily wear theirs. Elevator and public building etiquette used to
require a man removing his hat. Is this still practiced? Does one pray
there?
I rarely pray. I don't know how but I think a lot. I write a lot about
thinking. I think I cover prayer by allowing myself to think and the hat
has nothing to do with prayer for me. If women would adopt a hat as a sign
of prayer equality with men I might consider it for myself. Until then,
kipot or yarmulkes are not for me. Carol's Evaluation: 10 out of 10.
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