Reflections on Wearing a Head Covering
An Interview with Board Member Rabbi Carol Harris-Shapiro
The practice of wearing a yarmulke began around the year 500CE but was not initially required. Then, it was mostly observed only by scholars of the Jewish faith to show modesty before God and to acknowledge God’s presence above them. In the medieval period this practice spread to all Jewish men during prayer-time, and gradually became commonplace all the time due to the frequency with which blessings were said throughout the day. This practice did not spread to women until the mid 1970’s.
Board Member of the Interfaith Center and professor in the Intellectual Heritage Department at Temple University, Rabbi Carol Harris-Shapiro explained that it was an extremely gradual process for Jewish communities around the world to accept the daily practice of wearing a yarmulke (kippah in Hebrew).
Rabbi Harris-Shapiro explained that she personally covers her head in situations where the recitations of prayers or blessings might occur. She explained how originally, men and women wore head coverings for different reasons, and that her practice is really a combination of two. First, Rabbi Harris-Shapiro explained that traditionally in Judaism women have always covered their heads as an active symbol of modesty. She also clarified, however, that she wears a yarmulke as an “egalitarian extension of showing awe and respect for God.”
During the late 1970’s, when Rabbi Harris-Shapiro was first exposed to women wearing yarmulkes, she was initially shocked. Later on, however, as she learned more about its meaning while attending the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, she began to experiment with this practice and found meaning in it.
When Rabbi Harris-Shapiro sees women of other faiths wearing head coverings, she smiles at the familiarity of the religious act. Although she admits her own ignorance about the meaning behind head coverings in other religions, she identifies with the common theme of modesty.
When asked how it feels to publicly wear a yarmulke during prayer, Rabbi Harris-Shapiro confessed that sometimes, because of the act’s daily nature, it is difficult to remember its “exalted meaning.” But, after wearing a yarmulke for 25 years, Rabbi Carol Harris-Shapiro affirms, “It feels natural; it’s what I do.”
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