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Kippah as
identification
Often the color and fabric of the kippah can be a sign
of adherence to a specific religious movement. The
Israeli Religious Zionist community is often referred
to by the name kippot serugot (Hebrew כיפות סרוגות),
literally "knitted kippot," though they are typically
crocheted. American Modern Orthodox Jews often wear
suede or leather kippot which require clips to hold
them in place. Members of most Haredi groups usually
wear black velvet or cloth kippot. Because of this,
men who wear these kippot are sometimes referred to as
kipot shekhorot (Hebrew כיפות שחורות), literally
"black kippot". In addition, in general, the larger
the kippa, the more right-wing politically and the
more observant the wearer is (and sometimes for hair
loss). And by contrast, the smaller the kippah, the
more modern and even liberal the person is.
In the early 19th century in the United States, rabbis
often wore a scholar's cap (large saucer-shaped caps
of cloth, like a beret) or a Chinese skullcap. An
engraved portrait of the Moldavian rabbi, Benjamin ben
Benjamin (Rabbi Benjamin II), shows him wearing a
Chinese silk skullcap.
Other Jews of this era wore black pillbox-shaped
kippot. In the mid-1800s, Reformers led by Rabbi Isaac
Wise stopped wearing kippot altogether.
More recently, kippot have been observed in the colors
of sports teams supported by the wearer, especially
football. In the United States, children's kippot with
cartoon characters or themes such as Star Wars are
popular. (In response to this trend, some Jewish
schools have banned kippot with characters that do not
conform to traditional Jewish values.)
Some Breslov Hasidim, colloquially known as Na Nachs,
followers of the late Rabbi Yisroel Ber Odesser, wear
full-head-sized, white, crocheted kippot with the Na
Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman mantra emblazoned on it.
Mainstream Breslover Hasidim (the larger percentage of
the Breslov community who do not follow Rabbi Odesser)
dress like other Hasidim with black velvet kippot.
Samaritan Israelis once wore distinctive blue head
coverings to separate them from Jews who wore white
ones, but today they more commonly wear fezes with
turbans similar to that of Sephardi Jews from the
Middle East and North Africa. Today, Samaritans don't
normally wear head coverings except during prayer,
Sabbath, and religious festivals.
Kippah as identification <-- Kippah as
identification -->Crocheted kippah |