A Kippa and a belt in Berlin (Part 1 of 2)

WHY DO WE COVER OUR HEADS?

Jewish tradition indicates that we should cover our heads as a demonstration of humility and obedience to God. Having our heads covered represents that there is Someone above us, whose authority we unconditionally accept. The head-covered represents something similar to the expression: “We answer to a higher authority”, that is: HaShem, our God. Technically speaking, a Jewish man is obligated to cover his head particularly inside a Synagogue, while studying Tora or while performing a religious act. Having the head uncovered would represent a gesture of periqat ol, willingness to free oneself from God’s authority.

There is no particular element or object with which we Jews cover our heads: in ancient times Jews would wear turbans; qafias (similar to what many Arabs wear today), a tarbush (a Turkish red hat), a shtreimel (a fur hat), a Borsalino hat, etc.

HEAD COVERING AND MANNERS

Contrary to Jewish tradition, in Western culture, it used to be considered disrespectful to have the head covered indoors, especially in a public place like a restaurant, a Post office, or as you can see in this funny The Three Stooges video , in a court of justice. Take off your hat

It was normal to wear a hat outdoors because of cold, heat or style. But once indoors, one had to take his hat off ….  Perhaps this gesture has to do, directly or indirectly, with religion. Catholic Bishops and Cardinals cover their heads with a “skullcap” (in Italian “zucchetto”). But the meaning and function of this skullcap is different (perhaps “opposite”) to its meaning in Jewish tradition. Bishops take off their skullcap when they greet the Pope, and when performing the most important religious acts. In Spanish the skullcap is known as “Solideo” which means, “only before God”: meaning, I discover my head only before God (or the Pope), out of respect.  For a Jew it is the opposite: we cover our head, especially in front of God (that is, in religious acts), to indicate my submission to His authority.

THE KIPPA

Today, most observant Jews cover their heads with a “Kippa,” small hat or cap, usually made of cloth or knitted. I do not know the history of the evolution of the Kippa, that is, how was it that the Kippa replaced other ways of covering the head … but today it is in fact the most common way to cover the head.

Rabbi Obadia Yosef wrote that in our day the Kippa has an additional representation. Among Jews, the permanent use of the Kippa, particularly in Israel, identifies the observant Jew. Among non-Jews, however, the Kippa does not symbolize “observance”; the Kippa indicates “Jewishness”. For the non-Jew the Kippa is the unmistakable indication that someone is Jewish.

A KIPPA in BERLIN, GERMANY

A week ago, 21-year-old Adam Armush, was violently attacked on the streets of Berlin by a 19-year-old Syrian immigrant. These attacks are unfortunately not uncommon in Europe. In the last year more than 1,000 anti-Semitic incidents have been reported, just in Berlin.

But there are 3 things that make this attack different from all previous incidents.

1. That the reaction of some community leaders has been to discourage members of the Jewish community to wear a Kippa on the streets of Germany. This was expressed publicly by Josef Schuster, the political leader of the German Jewish community.

2. The attacker and much of the attack, a brutal beating with a belt, were filmed and recorded by the victim, and the video was uploaded to YouTube.