When is it appropriate?

Submitted by Rebecca Moulds (United States), Mar 26, 2008 at 19:48

To Jerry:

I went to a synagogue last weekend and only one man was wearing a kippah. I was prepared to see many more, and was told that on some occasions, women are required to wear a head covering. In Israel, and even London, the kippah is much more evident. I was prepared to wear one if necessary, but obviously it wasn't.

Perhaps here in the States some traditions are dying. In what circumstances is the wearing of a kippah required? The hijab worn by Muslim women cannot be equally compared to a kippah worn by Jewish people. Personally, it does bother me to see the growing trend of covering the head in places such as Cairo, where even five years ago it wasn't as prevalent. If the Muslim religion requires this, that's all fine and dandy, but thank God that I am not, and never will be, under such pressure to demean myself.

A Muslim woman I know in Cairo once told me that she would never cover her head, that doing this doesn't change a person; that if that person has a wicked heart, a scarf certainly isn't going to make them "good."

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