Kippas + Jewish Community
When examining the Jewish religion and culture there are certain characteristics that distinguish them among many other cultures. Walking down the streets of Midwood, Brooklyn, one will find mostly small black velvet palm sized skullcaps on the heads of the men strolling the streets. Walking down the streets of Forest Hills, New York, one will see a different setting- old men will be walking around with rich, lively colored, patterned circular skullcaps, while the young men walk around with simple suede skullcaps. The presence of these skullcaps, or simply, hats of various sizes serve functions other than keeping the head warm. They exemplify the distinguished image of Jews. The standard article of clothing worn upon the Jewish head is known as a yarmulke, but carries other names such as kipoh, kippah, kippot, and yamakah. When one walks into a place of religious service for Jews, they’ll see a sea of men’s heads covered with various types, colors, and sizes of yarmulkes. This simple, yet intricate article of clothing comes in many different types-Dacron, Bukharian, Yemenite, crotched, suede, Dacron, black velvet, satin, and white crotched- each type bringing along its own movement within the Jewish community. As Jewish immigrants entered into America from all around the world, men become easily distinguishable from other immigrants because they wear a yarmulke. To spot a religious Jewish man one would only need to observe his head, but the deeper understanding of the material and style of the kippah gives a stronger insight into the Jewish immigrant group. Understanding the type of kippahs worn by different Jewish immigrants and the history behind it brings its own insight into their identification within their culture and into their residence in New York City. For Jewish people the need to wear a yarmulke comes from the purpose of showing a respect to God but the function and purpose of kippahs has extended recently in America into political yarmulkes, sports team yarmulkes, and wedding yarmulkes.
