Beaver Hat Days
One of the more unique things about the area that I am working in is that it is the summer home of the Hasidim. Brooklyn must empty out every year around this time because everywhere you look here you see Jewish men in their dark clothes with their ringlets, and Jewish women in their wigs and head scarves. For those of you who haven't ever been to New York and seen this particular subset of Jewish culture, they are a sort of Fundamentalist Judaism, with strict adherence to biblical law, and wear particular clothing to set themselves apart from the rest of the world. They do not typically come to the theatre, mainly because there is a prohibition against men hearing women sing, and this is musical theatre after all, but I see them every time I go to Wal-Mart.
The Hasidim LOVE Wal-Mart.
Seriously. I see them by the dozens, by the HUNDREDS every time I'm there. It has made me very curious about their culture, what the forelocks mean, what the various items of clothing mean, what their general rules of life are... They just seem like a foreign culture plopped down into the midst of what I am doing.
As with all religions though, I also question their adherence to the rules. The most interesting one being that women have to cover their hair, because it is considered a sexual image for a woman to have her hair down. A certain section of the women, mostly the older ones it seems, wear head scarves in deference to this law. The younger women though all wear wigs. This to me seems like following the letter of the law and not the spirit. Why is it unacceptable for these women to show their own hair, but fine for them to wear a wig that is fuller and more luxurious than real hair could ever be? Isn't that even more sexual? (Not that any of these women are all that attractive, but still...) In the (mild to me, but sweltering to most) heat of the summer these men also wear beaver fur hats, and full length suit coats, with vests and a prayer vest underneath.I guess it is silly to question the practicality of a religion's rules, but isn't a light cotton just as modest? Just wondering...
The Hasidim LOVE Wal-Mart.
Seriously. I see them by the dozens, by the HUNDREDS every time I'm there. It has made me very curious about their culture, what the forelocks mean, what the various items of clothing mean, what their general rules of life are... They just seem like a foreign culture plopped down into the midst of what I am doing.
As with all religions though, I also question their adherence to the rules. The most interesting one being that women have to cover their hair, because it is considered a sexual image for a woman to have her hair down. A certain section of the women, mostly the older ones it seems, wear head scarves in deference to this law. The younger women though all wear wigs. This to me seems like following the letter of the law and not the spirit. Why is it unacceptable for these women to show their own hair, but fine for them to wear a wig that is fuller and more luxurious than real hair could ever be? Isn't that even more sexual? (Not that any of these women are all that attractive, but still...) In the (mild to me, but sweltering to most) heat of the summer these men also wear beaver fur hats, and full length suit coats, with vests and a prayer vest underneath.I guess it is silly to question the practicality of a religion's rules, but isn't a light cotton just as modest? Just wondering...
This was a very interesting bit, about the wigs. Hmmmm.
Love your site; as a big fan of theatre I like hearing about the backstage stuff.
What would you like to know? I'm a hassidic Jew who lives in Sullivan County all year long. Did you know there is actually a year-round Hassidic community in very close vicinity to Walmart in Kiamesha-Monticello? (I don't live there - I live in Callicoon).
The ear-locks (payos) come from the Bible in Leviticus 19:27.
The frock-coats that are worn during the summer are usually of a lighter material, usually with no lining.
Many Hassidim and other Orthodox Jews indeed wear cotton fringed garments, but wool is still considered better by many. The source to wear fringed garments comes from Numbers 15:37-41.
Many Hassidic Rabbis oppose wearing wigs for the exact reason you describe, as well as the fact that hair covering is a sign of being married and it's not always obvious a woman is wearing a wig. Many say a wig may be worn, but it should be covered with a scarf to show that the woman is married. But most opinions accepted today say that the reason for covering hair is to remind the woman that she is married, not neccesarily the outside world, so a wig is sufficient and within even the spirit of the law. The source for covering the hair comes from the fact that a woman who was suspected of adultery was humiliated by uncovering the hair, thus showing that a married woman must cover her hair. This is in Numbers 5:18.
What else do you want to know about our ways?
oh with my beautifull 2000 dollar custom wig, and pretty face i look like a million bucks, many gentiles have come on to me so dont tell me were not attractive, the opposite is true,
jewish woman are known to be extremly pretty, just some dont take care of their apperance because they are busy with their fifteen kids....
VPJW... yeah... I'm going to regret having made that aside aren't i?
Joe, thanks for taking the time to write a response, and for providing biblical reference for your culture. As I said, this is the most exposure I have ever had to Hassidim, and it has certainly been an interesting experience. (I personally am an atheist but I have a certain fascination for religious cultures, especially those outside the Protestant Christian tradition, which I was raised in.) Your answers about the wigs make a certain amount of sense, and it is interesting to me that there is disagreement about it even within your community. I remember a few months back when there was an uproar in NYC because a rabbi declared that wigs made of human hair that came from India were unclean because the hair came from non-Christian peoples, it actually made the papers in the city. That was when the questions about the wigs first started occurring to me.
I'm not sure how this link got posted to the Yiddishe Chatrooms site, but I certainly have gotten a lot of traffic from there today!
tzvi5... Sorry if I offended. Most of the women I have been exposed to are of the 30 to 40ish motherly type. I never seem to see teenage girls or women in their 20's that I could identify as belonging to the Hassidic community. I'm sure they are beautiful.
thoughtfullcare.blogspot.com
btw - most chassidishe women are hot - those in their 30s and 40s included