I chose this piece because it spoke to me in its illustration of what a yarmulke, or kippah, means and can function as to a Modern Orthodox Jew in this time in history. On one level it simply serves a religious function – according to custom, with slight variances in observance, men must wear a kippah or equivalent head covering at all times (the reason being to show that there is always someone above them). However, as can be seen by the Yankees kippah in the exhibit image or my kippah which has the University of Kentucky logo on it, kippahs also function as a fashion statement, helping us signal our favorite teams, brands, etc. Kippahs can also be made with the purpose of being aesthetically pleasing, as can be seen from several of them in the exhibit picture below. (I’d say which are, but to each his/her own.) In this way, our religious identities and cultural identities (which exist outside our religious ones) come together and express a fuller picture of who we are and what we stand for, support, and enjoy.

Jonathan (Yoni) Kastner