Doughnuts with an ultra-orthodox Jew
A walking tour of ultra-orthodox Jerusalem with Kitty — bad wigs, long temple curls, charity boxes on every corner, and the best possible reason to eat doughnuts. (5 min read)
There is more bad hair and bad fashion in Jerusalem than anywhere else on the planet. And the worst offenders are oblivious to it. In a world where fashion trends ignore national and cultural borders, a distinctive look is quaint and refreshing. But is it also a proxy for seperatism or worse?
It is generally hard to look bad in basic black. But when a man combines thick black knee high stockings, an overcoat and hush-puppies, and he lets his singlet strings hang out, you know you are not in Paris.
There is also a tendency to juxtapose a shaved forehead with 2 foot long temple curls, with or without a myriad of hats and head coverings.
And women wear really bad wigs, so as to keep their hair a private matter. The penny dropped when this was explained to me because I kept seeing the same really bad hair style on women all over Jerusalem (turns out they were all wearing the same wig!).
There is a huge amount of facial hair here and I was proudly told it has inspired hipsters all over the world. I was also told there is a law that prohibits men from using a razor on their faces, although the less orthodox permit electric razors, scissors and waxing.
All this and more was revealed in a walking tour last night with a self-defined, ultra-orthodox Jewish woman called Kitty (although she pronounced the K with a “Ch”).
This tour was really interesting and I liked Kitty a lot. She was friendly, open and engaging. And she was not put-off by some challenging questions from yours truly.
Kitty is a New Yorker who has lived in Jerusalem for most of her life. She’s in her late 40’s and expecting her 7th child. Leaving aside overly sensible shoes and a very bad wig, her clothing was smartly conservative and unremarkable.
The tour ends in Kitty’s home which proudly displays dozens of photos highlighting the proud Jewish lineage. Kitty’s father left Poland for Palestine in the 1920’s after being bastardised in the army for not shaving. Others in the family were murdered in Europe. And the terrible treatment of the Jewish people is a recurring theme in the conversation.
We started the tour at a women’s education centre. And this provided the context for Kitty to explain that education is the most important aspect of orthodox Jewish life. Great, I thought, no wonder they do so well in the professions! But the emphasis here is religious education. And several times a week, orthodox Jewish men and women meet, separately, to study the Torah and discuss the laws. Kitty’s house is full of religious books and she told us they were the most precious thing in the house.
Kitty explained that it is against the law for Jews to try to convert others – sigh of relief all around the room – and that conversion is actively discouraged. Nevertheless, she is part of a sect that seeks to share the 7 Noahic laws with the world. Basically, a moral code that is similar to foundations of other religions.
Next we hit the streets to explore some ultra-orthodox shops. There were beautiful candles in most windows and doorways. And many people were out shopping with their families for the holidays. Unlike in the old city, people were more open – making eye contact and some even smiled.
On every street corner there are these strange little post-boxes of different colours that Kitty explained were for donations to various causes. She said that they are obliged to give one tenth of their income to charity and there are no restrictions on what they can support. They think it is better to give smaller amounts often (than large amounts infrequently), as it instills the habit of charity. Beautiful.
We visited an ultra-orthodox clothing store where I finally got to see some of the essentials for les homme de Jew. The mystery of the strings hanging out of the pants of Jewish men, was finally solved and I can now confirm they are attached to a singlet (which comes in polyester or lambswool). Boys get their first one at the age of 3 and wear them 24/7.
Next stop was a Jewish bakery.
Kitty explained that it is currently the festival of doughnuts in Jerusalem. She didn’t call it that exactly but said that from November to early January doughnuts for sale all over the city! The doughnuts are cooked in the oil from the candles that are lit over Hanukkah and, in eating them, one absorbs the intention of being a little light in the world. OMG! Shazam! Holy Food! There has never been a better reason to eat doughnuts! So I did. And it was good.
Namaste
© Paul McCarthy & Iluminar.au
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