The clothing of the ancient Jews contained many borrowings from the attire of other peoples. This is due to historical events.
Ancient jewish costume resembled the clothing of Arab nomadic tribes.
Having moved to the Jordan Valley, the Jews retained their former simplicity in clothing. And although the first king of Israel, Saul, did not like luxury, it was after the emergence of their own state that the clothes of the Israelis became richer and more varied.

Illustration. On a man: outerwear- ephod, a shirt with wide sleeves.On the woman: a wide underdress and an outer garment.

This was influenced by the rich booty that Saul’s soldiers captured in wars. After Saul was killed, David became king. During this period, under the influence of the Phoenicians, the clothing of the Israelis became even more elegant, and many decorations appeared. King Solomon, who ruled after David, surrounded himself with fabulous oriental luxury. The time has come for Israel to flourish. The clothes of noble Jews at this time become especially rich. Revolts and civil strife split the kingdom into two parts. First, the Assyrians settled in Judea, and later, in 788 BC. - Babylonians. Characteristic features of Assyrian clothing appeared in the costumes of the Jews, and during the “Babylonian captivity” they were almost no different from Babylonian ones. Later it changed once again under the influence of Roman and Greek attire.

Illustration: Ancient Jews (high priest, Levites)

Illustration. Noble Jews

Men's suit

The clothing of noble men consisted of a lower woolen shirt and an upper linen shirt. Sleeves could be long or short.
A mandatory element of a male Jewish costume is a belt. Rich luxury belts made from wool or linen fabric, embroidered with gold, decorated precious stones, gold buckles. The poor wore leather or felt belts.
The outerwear of wealthy Jews was of two types. After returning from Babylonian captivity, they began to wear outerwear with sleeves, knee-length, which opened in the front. The decoration of these caftans was luxurious. During the cold season, kaftans were popular, mostly bright red, trimmed with fur.
At the waist, the outerwear was decorated with a rich buckle, to the corners of which tassels - “cises” - were attached.
There was also wide sleeveless clothing - an amice. It could be single or double. The double amice consisted of two identical strips of fabric, which were sewn so that the seam was only on the shoulders, and both pieces of fabric hung freely at the back and front. Such an amice with ties on the sides was the main garment of the priests and was called an ephod.

Illustration. Jewish soldiers, Jewish king

Woman suit

Before the reign of Solomon, even noble Jewish women wore simple, modest clothing - the same as women wore in ancient times. During the reign of David, transparent Indian and Egyptian, as well as patterned Assyrian and purple Phoenician fabrics appeared. They were very expensive, and therefore available only to rich Jewish women, who made them into long and very wide, with many folds, clothes. To create a slouch on clothing, it was tied with sashes and various buckles.
A rich women's costume consisted of several lower and outer garments. It became especially luxurious during the reign of King Solomon. The underwear was long, trimmed with a beautiful border along the hem and sleeves. They wore it with an expensive belt. On top of it, for going out, a second garment was put on - luxurious, dazzling white, with wide pleated sleeves. The collars and sleeves were decorated with precious stones and pearls, and gold figurines. This robe was belted with a metal belt, and it fell in long folds. There were also decorations on the belt: gold chains, precious stones. Sometimes, instead of belts, women used wide embroidered sashes, from which small bags embroidered with gold were hung on gold chains. Outerwear was most often made of patterned or purple fabric, it was sleeveless or open with sleeves.

Illustration. Noble Jewish women

Hairstyles and hats

Only young men wore long hair. This was not accepted among middle-aged men. But in later times, even young men with long hair began to be considered effeminate. Baldness in both men and women was considered a disgrace.
But it was forbidden by law to trim Jewish beards. Like the Assyrians, they treated her with great respect: a beard was one of the main signs of male beauty and dignity, as well as a sign of distinction free man. The beard was carefully looked after, anointed with expensive oils and incense. Cutting off someone's beard was considered a severe insult. However, if one of the relatives died, the Jews had a custom of tearing out their beard or even cutting it off.
Ordinary Jews wore woolen scarves over their heads (like the Arabs). Or they simply tied their hair with a cord. The nobility wore headbands - smooth or in the form of a turban, as well as hoods.
Noble women wore mesh caps decorated with pearls and precious stones, over which they threw a long transparent veil that enveloped the entire figure. Threads of pearls, corals, and gold plates were woven into the braids.
Women took great care of their hair. Jews valued thick and long women's hair. Long braids were worn down the back or wrapped around the head; noble young girls wore curls. Hair was anointed with expensive oils.

The history of Jewish costume of the 19th and early 20th centuries is a history of not only borrowings, it is the history of the Haskalah, an educational movement with which the existence of Jewish communities of that era is in one way or another connected. This is the history of prohibitions on wearing national clothing and observing national religious customs.

The entire structure of life in Jewish shtetls (shtetls) and the clothing of the inhabitants was regulated by the strict regulations of Judaism. But the Jewish costume is in some way the costume of the region or country where the Jews lived: two thousand years of migration left its mark on the appearance of the people. As a result, the only truly traditional clothing left was the talis, worn during prayer, on holidays and on Saturdays.

Bavarian costume of the 18th century. On the left is a lapserdak.

The hard and monotonous life of the shtetls changed only with the onset of the holidays. It was on holidays that religious orders were carried out especially strictly. Shtetl clothing is primarily the clothing of the poor. It was worn to such an extent that its original appearance and style were difficult to determine. And although the basic elements of clothing and everything appearance were generally accepted, there were differences. Men wore beards and sidelocks (long curls at the temples). It is said in the Scripture: “They shall not shave their heads, nor trim the edges of their beard, nor make cuts on their flesh” (Leviticus 21:5). Following the covenants spoke of a connection with G-d, of loyalty to Him. “That you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy to your God...” (Numbers 15:40). The man's head was certainly covered with a black skullcap (kippah). Kippah is Hebrew for "dome". There were two types of yarmulkes: with a flat bottom and a low crown, up to 10-12 centimeters, and flat ones, sewn from wedges. The kippah was often made of velvet, but could be made of any other fabric. Could be embroidered with gold thread along the edge. Wearing a kippah has been an obligation since the Middle Ages. Ordinary hats were worn over the kippah. According to P. Vengerova, who left extremely colorful and detailed “everyday” memories, in the 1830-1840s, the headdress of the poor on weekdays was a hat with side flaps. In the warm season they usually rose up, and in winter they dropped to the ears. Fur triangles were sewn over the forehead and on the sides of such a hat. The hat, it is not known why, was called “patchwork”; maybe because of the valves. Perhaps its name - lappenmütze - suggests that it first appeared in Lapland, where similar hats are worn. At least, Vengerova’s “Memoirs of a Grandmother” talks about this. The most common men's hats in shtetls in the second half of the 19th century were a cap and a wide-brimmed hat. By the end of the century, Jews often wore bowler hats, and especially wealthy people even wore top hats. Clothing was associated with class distinctions. Scholars - interpreters of the Torah - belonged to the least affluent part of the population of the towns. Abram Paperna, poet, teacher, literary critic, writes in his memoirs: “They (the interpreters), unlike the plebeians, dressed in black satin or Chinese zipuns with velvet collars and fur hats (shtreimels) with a velvet top. Zipuns and shtreimels (shtroiml - in another transcription) were often dilapidated, inherited from their ancestors.” Fur hats of this kind formed an element of the national costume of Bavarian peasants in the 18th century. In general, many details of Jewish costume of the 19th century strongly resemble German clothing of the previous century. There are fur hats of various styles, and a woman’s scarf draped over the shoulders and crossed over the chest.

Yehuda Pan. "The Old Tailor"

From time immemorial, the talis has been considered a particularly important part of men's clothing from a religious point of view. The thalis was a rectangular piece of white woolen fabric with black stripes along the edges and tassels. It was worn during prayer or on holidays.

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the children of Israel and tell them to make tassels for themselves on the edges of their clothes... and in the tassels that are on the edges they put threads of blue wool. And they will be in your hands, so that, looking at them, you will remember all the commandments of the Lord” (Numbers, chapter 15).

The so-called small thalis is also a rectangle with tassels along the edges, but with a hole for the head and not sewn on the sides. As a rule, it was worn under a shirt. However, in the paintings of Yehuda Pena, Chagall's teacher, we see a small talisman worn under a vest. Wearing a small talis testified that a person honors the sacred commandments not only during prayer, but throughout the day.

Influence of traditions local population, next to which on this moment Jews lived, clothing was obvious. P. Vengerova also recalls this. “Men wore a white shirt with sleeves that were tied with ribbons. At the throat, the shirt turned into a kind of turn-down collar, but it was not starched and had no lining. And the shirt was also tied at the throat with white ribbons. (A similar cut of a shirt is characteristic of the Lithuanian national costume. - M.B.) Special attention was paid to the method of tying the ribbons, and there was special chic in the choice of material for these ribbons, which resembled a tie. Even older men from wealthy families often showed discreet coquetry in tying these bows. Only then did black neckerchiefs appear. But in families where tradition was important, neckerchiefs were rejected. The pants reached to the knees and were also laced with ribbons. The white stockings were quite long. They wore low leather shoes without heels. At home they did not wear a frock coat, but a long robe made of expensive woolen material. The poorer people wore a robe made of half-chintz on weekdays, and on holidays - made of thick wool, and the very poor wore a robe made of nankee, a cotton material with a narrow blue stripe, in the summer, and a thick gray material in the winter. This robe was very long, almost to the ground. However, the costume would be incomplete without a belt around the hips. He was treated with special care; after all, it was considered the fulfillment of a religious commandment, since it symbolically separated top part body from the lower one, which performs rather unclean functions. Even lower-class men wore a silk belt on holidays.”

Jan Matejka. Jewish clothing of the 18th century.

Everyday clothing of Jews second half of the 19th century century already differed little from what other men wore in the Russian Empire. Just look at the drawings of I. S. Shchedrovsky, V. F. Timm or a provincial merchant portrait; there are the same bekeshi (a type of frock coat with cotton wool fur collar), the same caps, vests. Craftsmen and traders (the main professions of the inhabitants of the towns), as a rule, wore untucked shirts, trousers tucked into boots, vests and caps. Short pants tucked into knee-high white stockings and shoes were typical for the more religiously orthodox part of the Jewish population. Lapserdak was popular - outerwear with cuffs, cut at the waist, usually lined, with long hems that reached the middle of the calf, and often the ankle. It’s interesting that the lapserdak’s shape exactly repeated the shape of the first redingote. quarter XVIII century. What Vengerova calls a robe was, in fact, a bekeshe. For a long time residents of the towns wore long frock coats. Dressing according to generally accepted fashion, people used mainly the cheapest fabrics - lustrine, Chinese, nanka. There are numerous references to this in Sholom Aleichem.

Cloak-delia. 18th century engraving

Tsarist bans on wearing national clothing always had a strong impact on the appearance of Jews. A. Paperna quoted one such document: “Jews are strictly ordered to dress in German dress and are forbidden to wear a beard and sidelocks; Women are prohibited from shaving their heads or covering them with a wig.” Author of the book “From the Nicholas Era. Jews in Russia” A. Paperna writes: “The first restriction on traditional clothing was introduced in Russia in 1804. For a long time, this provision in the Pale of Settlement was practically not respected, although it was repeatedly confirmed by law. In 1830-1850 wearing national clothes was punishable by significant fines.” The fine for wearing a wig reached 5 rubles, which at that time was a significant amount. How significant this amount was can be understood by comparing food prices with it: a turkey cost 15 kopecks, a goose - 30 kopecks, a large rooster - 30 kopecks. F. Kandel in “Essays on Times and Events” continues this topic: “In 1844, a tax was introduced not on sewing, but on wearing Jewish clothing. Each province set its own prices, and in Vilna, for example, they took fifty rubles a year from merchants of the first guild for the right to preserve a traditional costume, from townsfolk ten rubles, and from artisans five. For just one skullcap on the head, each Jew was paid from three to five rubles in silver.”

However, the tendency to follow citywide Russian fashion intensified by the end of the 19th century. This was due to the penetration of educational ideas into the Jewish environment. “At first it was only an external imitation,” clarifies the same F. Kandel, “and at the beginning of the 19th century “Berliners” appeared in Warsaw (followers of the “Haskala” that came from Berlin; the first period of the “Haskala” began in Prussia in the second half 18th century), who, by changing clothes and appearance, tried to eradicate “distinctive features” in themselves. They spoke German or Polish, shaved their beards, cut their side locks, wore short German frock coats and, of course, stood out on the Jewish streets among the Warsaw Hasidim in their long, toe-length robes. Orthodox Jews unanimously hated these obvious heretics - “apikoreis” for their gross violation of age-old traditions.”

Woman in a wig.

Jews who traveled to other cities on commercial business dressed in European fashion and shaved, which did not prevent them from remaining faithful to traditions. “To this day I have not forgotten his strange figure,” recalls A. Paperna, “a fat man with big belly, with a shaved chin, dressed in a short frock coat, under which one could see a traditional breastplate with “threads of vision” (talis kotn).” It must be said that the appearance of these people initially aroused the furious indignation of the townsfolk. A.I. Paperna writes: “My father, having moved around in Bialystok among progressive people and having visited abroad, where he had the opportunity to get acquainted with the culture of German Jews, changed his views on many things in Jewish life, and this internal change received external expression in his German clothes, and it was his clothes that created a terrible commotion in Kopyl... He was smartly dressed in a short frock coat and long trousers; the beard was trimmed, and long blond hair hung down his neck in curls. Those who met him came close to him, peered into his face, and walked away, pretending that they did not recognize him.” The old people wore their old dress, which was popular during their youth. Sholom Aleichem in “Kasrilov's fire victims” has an interesting description: “He was dressed like a Sabbath: in a sleeveless silk rustling cape, put on an old, but cracked satin caftan, in a fur hat, stockings and shoes.” Similar capes were worn in Poland in the 16th century, but similar robes (wings) also existed in European fashion in the 30s of the 19th century.

Jan Matejka. Clothing of the Jews of Poland in the 17th century.

Age-old attitudes were considered immutable for women's clothing. For example, wearing wigs. When a woman got married, she covered her head with a wig. However, at the end of the 19th century, apparently due to fines, wigs began to be replaced with scarves, lace or silk shawls. The scarf was tied under the chin, sometimes leaving the ears exposed. Instead of a wig in the 1830s, they wore a kind of overlay made of fabric to match the color of the hair, worn under a cap, which is mentioned in “Essays on Cavalry Life” by V. Krestovsky: “Until then, she, like a good old-time Jew, for lack of a wig hid hers White hair under an old overlay made of reddish with age, once black satin with a parting sewn in the middle, and on top of this overlay she put on a tulle cap with wide bows and crimson roses.” In Sholom Aleichem’s novel “Stempenyu,” the heroine is depicted as follows: “Rohel was already tied and dressed in the latest fashion of the local ladies’ tailor. She was wearing a silk dress of heavenly blue color with white lace and wide sleeves, such as were then worn in Madenovka, where fashion is usually delayed by several years. Through the openwork silk scarf draped over his head, the warrior's coat and braids were visible... though, someone else's braids; her own blond hair had long been cut off, hidden from human eyes forever, forever. Then she put on herself, as usual, the entire set of jewelry appropriate for the occasion: several strings of pearls, a long gold chain, brooch, bracelets, rings, earrings.”

Kleizmers. Beginning of the 20th century

There is some discrepancy here with generally accepted fashion and secular rules. However, we must not forget that shtetls had their own laws. One of them read: “The husband should dress below his capabilities, dress the children in accordance with his capabilities, and dress the wife above her capabilities.” This explains the indispensable abundance of jewelry on women, because according to them appearance judged the well-being of the family.

It is interesting that in the XVI and XVII centuries The Vaad (the general Jewish Sejm of Poland and Lithuania) by special resolutions more than once prohibited excessive luxury in the clothes of Jews, so that they would not stand out among the local population. “It should be noted that the struggle against the luxury of Jewish costumes was also waged by the best representatives of the Jewish communities of that time,” says S. Dubnov, one of the authors of “The History of the Jewish People.” - The Krakow kagal issued a number of rules in 1595 regarding the simplification of clothing and the elimination of luxury, especially in women's costumes, establishing a fine for violating these rules. But regulation was not successful.” In general, the kahal authorities and vaads, according to data published in the same “History of the Jewish People,” vigorously fought against luxury in clothing everywhere; Special envoys were even sent to the communities in order to prevent expensive dresses, especially those made of fabrics with threads of gold and silver, and sable hats. The surviving pinkos (protocol books) of individual communities (Opatowa, Wodzisława, Birž) indicate that every few years the kahal issued, under threat of excommunication, decrees against luxury in clothing, which “ruined the communities and individuals, causes enmity and envy on the part of people of other faiths.”

It is impossible not to mention another wedding tradition: the girl always covered her face with a veil. This is explained by the fact that before the wedding the groom had to lift the veil and look at the bride in order to avoid mistakes. This ritual is rooted in the Torah: Jacob was promised, as is known, Rachel as a wife, but was given Leah. Among the prohibitions on luxury in clothing, already in the 19th century there was this: “On wedding clothes, do not sew any lace on the dress. The cost of the groom's outerwear, i.e., a frock coat and overcoat, should not exceed 20 rubles. For a bride, the dress and outer cape should not cost more than 25 silver rubles.”

On Rosh Hashonah it was necessary to dress in new or white clothes in order to New Year was light. In Bella Chagall’s “Burning Fires” we read: “Everyone puts on something new: some a light hat, some a tie, some a brand new suit... Mom also dresses up in a white silk blouse and flies to the synagogue with a renewed soul.”

Both men and women buttoned their clothes from right to left. It was believed that the right side - a symbol of wisdom - was superimposed on the left - a symbol of the evil spirit - and protected the modesty and righteousness of the woman. Cleavage was not encouraged. An apron was usually worn over the dress, which, in addition to its usual purpose, was considered protection from evil eye. According to P. Vengerova, “the apron was an indispensable requirement for a complete outfit. It was worn on the street and, of course, during all festivities. It was long and reached the hem of the skirt. Wealthy women bought colorful silk material or precious white cambric for their aprons, embroidered with velvet flowers or embroidered with the finest patterns with gold thread. Poorer women were content with woolen fabrics or colored calicoes.”

In the second half of the 18th century, Hasidism, a religious and mystical branch of Judaism, became widespread among the Jews of Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland. He gained enormous popularity among the poor. But traditional rabbis (they were called misnaged) fought in every possible way for influence over their flock. Tzadikim of both Hasidic and Misnaged persuasion continued to regulate every moment of a person’s life. In the 50s of the 19th century, A. Paperna wrote: “The Bobruisk Hasidic rabbi issued a bull, by which, under pain of herim (herim or herem - curse, excommunication), he forbade local Jewish women from wearing crinolines. This grief was further intensified by envy of the neighbors and girlfriends of the Misnaged persuasion, for whom Rebbe Hillel’s order was not binding and who therefore continued to flaunt in their crinolines.” But even in the 1840s, the Misnaged were still resolutely against any fashionable innovations...

Postcard for Rosh Hashona. 1914

In the second half of the 19th century, during the time of enlightenment and, therefore, assimilation, rich women, regardless of religious precepts, began to dress in common European fashion. She did not touch the shtetls. Already in the 1870s, crinolines were replaced by bustles, the waist dropped lower, and the corset changed. He began to tighten not only the waist, but also the hips. Clothes of this kind, with narrow sleeves, a tight bodice and bustle, were found only among a very wealthy part of the population, who had practically abandoned traditions. In general, women preferred to sew dresses according to the fashions of 10-20 years ago. And at the beginning of the twentieth century, ladies from wealthy Jewish families were already dressing, following the latest Parisian “instructions”: they put on huge hats decorated with flowers, ribbons, bows, etc. Bella Chagall did not forget how their cook dressed up on Saturday, a holiday, : “So she straightened the last fold in her dress, put on a hat with flowers and walked proudly to the door.”

However, an unusual headdress, which Sholom Aleichem calls a warrior (in Yiddish - kupka), was also popular. Married women wore it on holiday. It consisted of seven parts, was made of brocade, and was embroidered with pearls, but one part of it remained unadorned. It was believed that complete joy was impossible while the Temple of Jerusalem lay in ruins. P. Vengerova gives a more detailed description of the warrior: “For the rich, he represented a significant part of the fortune. This headdress, a black velvet bandage, strongly resembled a Russian kokoshnik. The edge, carved in an intricate zigzag pattern, was decorated with large pearls and diamonds. The bandage was worn on the forehead over a tight-fitting cap called a “kopke”. A bow made of tulle ribbon and flowers was attached to the middle of the cap. On the back of her head, a lace frill stretched from ear to ear, trimmed closer to the eyes and temples with small diamond earrings. This precious bandage was the main part of a woman’s dowry.”

In short, the differences between the costumes of Jews and the clothing of the local population in late nineteenth centuries were insignificant. The costume of the Jews now differed from the clothing of the indigenous inhabitants only in that it appeared in European use a hundred years earlier. Naturally, in the 1850-1870s of the 19th century, the redingote mid-18th century century looked strange, just like shoes with stockings and short pants. The clothing of Jews in the mid-19th century, as already mentioned, resembles the costume of Bavarian peasants late XVIII century. The desire to maintain and observe traditions, to wear the clothes of their fathers, gave rise to some archaism in clothing. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, the Jews of the towns dressed according to the general fashion. The lapserdak, for example, was replaced by a long, almost knee-length frock coat. Nevertheless, these traditional lapserdak, high-crowned hats, and shtreiml hats can still be seen on Hasidim today. It’s curious: today’s Orthodox Jews often wear long frock coats instead of lapsardaks or black raincoats, the cut reminiscent of the fashion of the 1960s... Traditions are preserved, sometimes refracted in the strangest way and, giving way to novelty, sometimes perpetuate hoary antiquity.

Who can name the main sign of how Jews differ from other peoples? National Costume. Its description will be presented to your attention in the article, since it is clothing that always sets a Jew apart from the crowd.

Jews are a people of the West Semitic group, related to the Arabs and Amharas (Ethiopians). Yes, strange as it may seem, Arabs and Jews, who are always at war and dislike each other, are close relatives, much like Russians and Poles.

However, the religion, culture in general and clothing in particular among these peoples are not at all similar. The traditional clothing of Jews is very colorful and makes representatives of this nation stand out from the crowd. To people who are modern and far from religion - and the way Jews dress is entirely based on religious ideas - it may seem ridiculous and somehow old-fashioned, “anachronistic”. What does the Jewish national costume look like? Black frock coats, hats, belts - these items of Jewish costume became " business card"a real Jew. A little less known is the yarmulke - a round cap. However, these are not all the details of the Jewish wardrobe. What does the Jewish national costume look like? The photo in the article shows us the image of a real Jew, dressed according to all the rules of his people.

Jewish ideology in clothing

The Jewish peoples have their roots in extreme antiquity. Over the centuries, they have constantly changed, and the reason for this is the desire of the Jews to disguise themselves (after all, in many countries they were forbidden to live at all or were allowed to settle in strictly designated places) or to assimilate. The latest trend appeared at the beginning of the 19th century: educated representatives of the Jewish people decided to change their traditional attire to European clothes; they began to dress in the fashion of those times - this is how those same long black frock coats and hats came into Jewish use. Later, this style was “mothballed” and became one of the options for “traditional Jewish” clothing, while in the rest of the world it went out of fashion.

But this transformation has a certain meaning - national, ideological and even religious. His principle is reflected in a common joke. Allegedly, at the beginning of the 19th century, one of these educated Jews approached the rabbi, seemingly the custodian of ancient piety, and, deciding to “prick” him, asked: “Rebbe, what did our forefather Abraham wear?” The rabbi calmly replied: “My son, I don’t know what Abraham dressed in - a silk robe or a shtraimla; but I know exactly how he chose his clothes: he looked at how non-Jews dressed, and dressed differently.”

Indeed, the Jews sought to be different from all other peoples and did this with greater fanaticism than all others eastern peoples. They still stubbornly refuse to call the pagan religion of the Jews “paganism” (although, strictly according to science, only the Jewish faith can be recognized as real “paganism”, since it practically did not undergo mixing with foreign cults).

Jewish music, cooking, behavior, clothing - all this should always be different from its surroundings, but how exactly it should look is the tenth thing. Even kashrut - a list of culinary (and other) dogmas - is interpreted by many Orthodox Jews only as follows: “Kashrut was introduced in order to distinguish a Jew from a non-Jew.” Same thing with circumcision...

Therefore, it is not surprising that the Western European costume of the beginning of the century before last is today officially considered traditional Jewish clothing. The national costume of Jews in Russia may seem something strange and unusual, but they are a different people that must be respected.

Yarmulka

This is the same round hat. Jews from former USSR They are accustomed to believing that its name is derived from the Russian name Ermolai. But when they come to Israel, local residents explain to them that the cap is called so from the expression “yere malka” - “one who fears the ruler.” That is, wearing a yarmulke, in theory, means that its owner deeply and sacredly believes in God.

How to choose a skull cap?

Choosing a skull cap is not as simple a task as it seems to the uninitiated. In Israeli stores they are sold like regular hats - skull caps of various sizes, materials, colors and styles are laid out on the shelves. However, which one the buyer chooses depends on the characteristics of his religion and state of mind. For example, Hasidim do not recognize velvet and knitted skull caps. A religious Jew purchases a cap of the style that is worn in his community. This is also a reflection of the principles of Judaism: to outside observers it seems to be a monolithic, uniform cult, but in fact it is divided into dozens of movements, differing in dogmas, rules, clothing, etc. Relations between many movements are far from friendly.

Cape

The national costume of the Jews includes a cape. In Hebrew it is called tallit katan or arbekanfes. Like the yarmulke, this is also a mandatory attribute of the Jewish costume. It is a piece of quadrangular material with a hole for the head and four tassels (tzitzit) along the edges. The cape can be worn under clothing or worn over it like a shirt, but the tassels are always placed over the trousers. Each brush has eight threads. Here, too, there are elements characteristic of certain movements of Judaism.

The most interesting and even mysterious part is one (there may be two) thread in the brush, painted blue. It means that the owner of this cape is a Radzinsky or Izhbitsky Hasid. There is a legend regarding the origin of such threads. It is believed that blue dye - "theylet" - was present on Jewish clothing in ancient times, but two thousand years ago the recipe for its preparation was lost. At the end of the 19th century, the Hasidic rabbi Gershon Hanoch received teylet again, but his recipe was not recognized by the majority of representatives of the Jewish public as “the same” paint. Therefore, this tehlet remained belonging only to the indicated Jewish movements.

In fact, attempts to restore the ancient recipe and obtain theilet have been proposed by many Western and Jewish scientists since the Middle Ages. Archaeologists who examined the remains of ancient factories and modern chemists also contributed to this matter.

Tzitzit, according to religious canons, must be worn by all men over 13 years of age. This marks the coming of age (bar mitzvah). Wearing tassels indicates that the boy is already able to take responsibility for his actions and participate in the affairs of adults, including reading and discussing the Torah in the synagogue.

"Casket" and hat

The national costume of the Jews necessarily includes a headdress. Every religious Jew is required to wear a yarmulke. However, it is usually hidden under the second headdress. It could be a cap, a hat or a “casket” (aka “dashek”) - an old style cap. The latter is especially popular among Russian and Polish Jews, including Hasidim.

But the most famous is the traditional one that Jews wear on weekdays. Don’t think that all hats are the same: its appearance can tell even more about the personality of its owner than a passport. The size of the hat, its position on the head, the nature of the crease and other elements indicate which movement of Judaism the owner of the hat belongs to and even what social status he has.

Straimble

Shtreimbl is the third type of headdress that is included in the national costume of the Jews. But it is common only among Hasidim. Straimble - cylindrical fur hat. There are also more than two dozen types. In this case, three large groups are distinguished: the stroke itself - wide and low, correct form; Chernobyl - simply low, more free-form; and a spodik - a very tall fur hat. Shtreimbl Hasidim wear only on special occasions - on Shabbat, at weddings and other holidays, during a visit to the rabbi. There are also types of shtraimbla that are worn only by the heads of communities.

Tie and beard

There are elements of clothing that only a few recognize Jewish communities. One of them is a tie. It is the prerogative of the Litvaks only. But Hasidim hate ties fiercely; They explain this by saying that the first step in tying a tie is tying a knot in the shape of a cross. A zealous Jew is supposed to hate everything connected with the cross.

Another part of the “clothing” is the beard. Some Jews go clean shaven, others carefully trim their beards, but Hasidim do not recognize any modification of their beard at all, which is why they have the thickest and blackest of all Jews.

Tailcoat

What else can be included in the national costume of the Jews? In some communities (for example, among the Litvaks), an element of the wardrobe that is old-fashioned according to European standards, such as a tailcoat, has been preserved. It is also black, long and has no pockets. It is interesting that the buttons on a tailcoat (and on any Jew) are fastened so that the right side covers the left - that is, from the point of view of a non-Jew, “in a feminine way.” Jews usually wear a tailcoat during the holiday.

What does the Jewish national costume look like? The photos in the article clearly show us a colorful and unusual clothing style for an ordinary European. This may seem strange to many, but this is what makes Jews special. They are firm in their views and true to their customs. And these features would not be a hindrance to any nation!

Khomra (from the Greek chpst - round dance) is a Bulgarian, Moldavian, Greek, Armenian, Romanian and Jewish round dance and musical form. It is usually performed to the accompaniment of an orchestra. The Jewish chorus is similar to the Moldavian and Romanian ones, performed in 3/4 or 3/8 time with an emphasis on 1 and 3 beats. This is a fast 4/4 round dance created in the 1930s. Baruch Agadati (Kaushansky); sometimes called "Hora Agadati". To perform the chorus, the dancers gather in a circle, hold hands and begin to move to the right, first with the left, then right foot. In the next step, the left foot is placed behind the right, and the right foot is taken again. These movements are repeated at a fast pace. When there are a large number of dancers, people make several circles, one inside the other. Previously, the hora was popular mainly in kibbutzim and rural areas, but then it began to be often performed at weddings and other holidays. The hora can be performed to traditional Israeli songs, although the most famous is performed to the music of "Hava Nagila".

Jewish national costume

An integral part of Jewish culture is folk costume. Men's Jewish costume consists of woolen black and white or blue and white prayer shawls with tassels, long robes, kaftans and cloaks. The head is covered with a special cap. Men grew beards and strands of hair at their temples. In the Ashkenazi men's costume, the obligatory attributes were a tunic-like shirt, black trousers, boots, a long-skirted caftan (lapserdak), a black skull cap or a hat trimmed with fur (shtreiml). Married women covered their heads with a wig.

Women of the old Yishuv wore traditional Long Dresses with a fitted bodice, which, when skillfully cut, emphasized the chest and waist. The bodice was very intricate, with many ruches, pleats, lace, buttons, ribbons and intricate hand embroidery. Dresses were made with long sleeves, gathered at the shoulder, tapering towards the wrist and ending in a lapel with buttons. This sleeve was called a gigot (French for “leg of lamb”). The stand-up collar fit tightly around the neck and was trimmed with lace. The hem usually ended with two or three rows of frills. The front of the dress was straight and reached to the toes of the shoes, and at the back there were several pleats, and it ended with a small train. Up to five or six petticoats and a tight corset were worn under the full skirt. The train made the lady's silhouette from the side look like a hill, steep in front and sloping in the back. The waist was cinched with a belt made of leather or the same fabric as the dress. Women of the old Yishuv - both Ashkenazi and Sephardic - wore fashionable dresses of this cut from the last decades of the 19th century until about 1910, and only in the second decade of the 20th century new trends began to penetrate into their clothing.

The majority of Jewish women in the old Yishuv were religious, observed traditions, and dressed modestly. In summer they preferred bright hues and usually wore white dresses, and in winter dark colors: various shades of brown or blue. The color of the dress depended on age and marital status. Few women dared to wear red or green dresses; older women sometimes wore dresses in gray, beige or blue-gray tones. A black dress meant mourning. Typically, summer dresses were made from cotton fabrics - cambric and poplin, and winter ones - from crepe-satin, taffeta or thick silk.

Women also wore skirts with blouses. Blouses of complex cut were sewn from the finest cambric and trimmed with lace and fine embroidery. self made. They were worn with dark skirts, which used a lot of fabric, as they were pleated, frilled, and trimmed with ribbons and patterned buttons. Usually skirts widened towards the hem.

Dresses and blouses were buttoned so that the right side - a symbol of wisdom - was superimposed on the left - a symbol of an evil spirit - and protected the modesty and chastity of a woman: after all, the right hand is a “stern hand” (this, by the way, is the title of one of Maimonides’ books), and left side Kabbalists call the sitra ahara (the other side), this is the refuge of Satan, where evil desires take root.

An apron was usually worn over the dress, which, in addition to its intended purpose, was also considered protection from the evil eye. On Saturdays and holidays, the white embroidered apron was starched and ironed to emphasize the neatness of its owner. The boots were worn high, ankle-length, laced to the top, usually black. The stockings were black or colored, hand-knitted, they were held on by round garters above the knees, hidden under a long skirt.

Lingerie included pantaloons with lace, over which they wore a long petticoat that fit tightly around the hips. Between the lower and upper skirts there were two or three more white silk or cambric skirts. The bodice had the shape of a vest. The corset was made with tight-fitting metal hoops, but later they were replaced with whalebone plates sewn into the fabric. The corset narrowed the waist, enlarged the chest and, naturally, made breathing difficult. The petticoats were sewn straight in front and flared in the back, which, together with the pads sewn into them on the hips, gave the figure a fashionable shape at that time: in those days, thin women were considered unattractive, and clothing was supposed to correct this flaw. Old women in Jerusalem still remember the full skirt with a thick cotton lining.

Underwear constituted a significant part of a girl's dowry, and its quantity and quality reflected the financial situation of her parents. Loose-fitting nightgowns made of fine cambric, always white, with long sleeves and a closed collar, were finished with embroidered ribbons of a soft pink or blue color. In winter, women wore dark ankle-length capes over their dresses, usually gray, with a narrow collar and slits for the arms. Some wore woolen coats, sewn by local tailors using patterns brought from Europe.

Jerusalem Sephardic women wore long black dresses and lace scarves that covered their heads, foreheads and shoulders. When a woman visited relatives and friends, the hostess herself took off this scarf and kept it with her, and when the guest was about to leave, the hostess, out of politeness, refused to return it, persuading her to take her time and drink another cup of tea. Sephardic women wore beautiful warm shawls with fringes in bright patterns.

The Eastern influence on the clothing of that time is evidenced by the traditionally embroidered scarf with which Sephardic women covered their heads and shoulders, and the black dress with a cape-shaped bodice, with a wide hem to the toes.

In Jerusalem, such attire could only be seen on the streets of the Old City, and women there also usually covered their faces with a black scarf so that no one would pester them. At the beginning of the century, women collected long hair into a chignon and, to emphasize femininity, they did not pull it very tightly. This hairstyle, brought over from Europe where it was called "Marie Antoinette", was especially popular among young women, and even women from the extremely Orthodox community wore it on their wigs.

Following religious instructions and tradition, married Ashkenazi women usually covered their hair with hats, which were secured on their heads with hairpins or ribbons. The hats were felt or straw, trimmed with lace, ribbons, artificial flowers or fruits. And Sephardic women covered their heads with different scarves: on weekdays - made of thin cotton or silk fabric with thin fringe or patterns along the edges, holiday scarves were distinguished by brighter colorful patterns. Before the wedding, girls wore a light light scarf on their heads, and colored ribbons were woven into their hair. Young married women wore bright scarves, while older women preferred dark colors.

On top of the headscarf they usually wore a kind of tourniquet, tied in a knot at the back, and hanging loosely in front on both sides of the face, with something like pendants extending from it, covering the ears and reaching to the shoulders. Women from the Balkan countries wore a large colorful cape on their heads, folded into a triangle and secured with a hairpin. In the rain, they put galoshes on their shoes and carried umbrellas. Knitted wool gloves were also in fashion.

A woman's well-being was indicated by gold and silver jewelry: chains, bracelets, brooches, rings, medallions, typical of that time, often with precious stones. Immediately after birth, the midwife pierced the girls’ ears and passed a white thread through the holes, and soon the ears were decorated with tiny gold earrings.

Sephardim at home usually wore a white shirt and cotton pants, topped with a small tallit (Jewish prayer shawl), then a vest and caftan with a sash. When going out into the city, they put on a long coat and a fez on their head.

Almost all men wore headdresses: Turkish fezzes of cherry color with a black tassel, European felt hats, straw hats with wide brims, sometimes curved on one side, sometimes on both sides, sometimes not curved. The dandies wore straw boaters in the French fashion and even wore gloves in the summer. The choice of hat unmistakably indicated the orientation of its owner: a fez - for loyalty to the Turkish authorities, a felt hat - for a moderately pro-Western orientation, a straw boater - for panache, a French cap for oppositional sentiments, a sun pith helmet - for cosmopolitanism. And the absence of a headdress was perceived as an open rebellious challenge. At that time, ties were worn in various types, long, wider or narrower (“herrings”, “butterflies!”, “bows”), silk, striped or checkered. Men's boots or low shoes were often black, sometimes white, with laces. The dapper suit was complemented by a cane and a watch on a gold chain in the vest pocket. The man's hair was carefully lubricated with brilliantine and combed thoroughly. Most grew beard mustaches.

Initially, Jews covered their heads only during prayer and Torah study. This is how they showed their respect to the Almighty. The exact time when this custom was established is unknown. There is a good maisa on this subject (literally this word is translated as “history”, although it would be more correct to say “historical anecdote”).

They asked the rebbe: “Where in the Torah is it written that you need to wear a yarmulke?” “Well, it’s as easy as shelling pears,” the rebbe answered, “after all, it is said: “And Abraham went.” Can you imagine that Abraham walked with his head uncovered?!”

At first, only the kohanim - the priests of the Jerusalem Temple - had to constantly walk with their heads covered. Over time, the most pious Jews began to cover their heads not only during prayer, but almost always, thus showing that all their actions were aimed at serving God. Gradually, this custom received the force of law, although it was not formally recorded in the Torah. During the period of the creation of the Talmud (III-V centuries AD), Jewish sages developed a decree according to which it was forbidden to walk four cubits (approximately 2.4 m) with a bare head. This custom gradually became established in all Jewish communities.

But why exactly such a hat, and not a turban or something else? There is an opinion that the incentive for adopting the kippah as a headdress was the notorious Laws of Omar, created in the 7th century. AD one of the first Muslim caliphs. According to these laws, Jews did not have the right to wear turbans like Muslims, but had to wear some other kind of headdress. According to another version, the “fashion” for the kippah was brought to the Middle East by the Turks. Then, in the 8th-10th centuries, the bulk of the Jewish people lived there. The proof of the “Turkic” hypothesis is usually considered to be the second name of the kippah - yarmulke (or yarmulke, as it is more often written). According to a number of experts, this is from the Turkic “yagrmurluk” (“raincoat”). However, many believers believe that the word “yarmulka” is not Turkic, but Jewish origin. From “yare malachi” - “one who fears the king” (naturally, we are talking about the Almighty).

Translated from Hebrew, kippah literally means top, top. The name indicates that the kippah covers a person from above, thus turning out to be highest point within the microcosm.

Does a kippah always indicate the religiosity of a Jew? Not always. Non-religious Jews wear a kippah when visiting a synagogue, when mourning the dead, and at bar mitzvahs (coming of age celebrations). Kippah often helps determine not only the religiosity of a Jew, but also which population group this person belongs to. Thus, the kippah partly fulfills the role of identification mark"one's own - someone else's." A knitted round kippah of any color usually indicates that its owner is a religious Zionist (at least in Israel). These people are called “kipot srugot” (“knitted kipots”). Kipot srugot are religious people, but they do not always keep all the commandments. Stricter behavior is characteristic of those who wear a black kippah. These people position themselves as devout believers. But the people who most strictly observe the commandments are those called in Israel “Haredi.” They wear a hat over their kippah. Some of them do not take off their kippah even while sleeping.

There are other nuances. White kippahs are worn, for example, by representatives of some Hasidic courts who want to hint at belonging to students of Kabbalah. Sometimes such a kippah has a pompom. Followers of the Chabad movement wear a black hexagonal kippah.

The way a person wears a kippah can tell a lot. Those who wear it recently usually tend to make it more comfortable. For example, they wear a kippah on the back of the head, and not on the top, as it should be. If the kippa is held on a hairpin or even hangs from the hair, then this is a person who covers his head solely by force. business need and immediately removes the kippah as soon as this need has passed.

Some religious Jews are convinced that on the Day of Judgment (Yom Kippur), the day of remembrance of the dead (Yorzeit) and other similar days, it is obligatory to wear only a dark-colored kippah. There is also the opposite option - many believing Israelis prefer to wear a black kippah every day, and on Saturdays and holidays they change it to a white one.

In Tsarist Russia, all features of the so-called Jewish Settlement, wearing a kippah was prohibited. However, even in the Pale of Settlement itself, a large fine was subsequently introduced for wearing it. During the Soviet era, kippah was not officially banned, but it was not really encouraged, to put it mildly. For Jewish Revival activists, the kippah was a symbol of their Jewishness. Moreover, a symbol that is literally highly valued. One of the activists of the Jewish independent movement of the 1970s told me that for his first knitted kippah, brought from Israel, he gave a jacket from a denim suit, which was then a huge rarity in Moscow. Quite anecdotal situations also arose. One Jewish student came wearing a hat medical school, where did you study. The lecturer, noticing this, demanded to immediately take off his hat. However, when there was a kippah under the hat, the professor chose the lesser of two evils, and never again asked this student to take off his hat.

It is interesting that from the life of Jewish believers, the kippah at some point passed into the life of Soviet scientists (especially academicians). Whether the fashion was associated with a significant number of Jews among Soviet scientists at the beginning of the last century or whether it had other roots is now difficult to say. But if you remember old Soviet films and theatrical performances- the venerable scientist there certainly wears a skull cap. Let’s immediately make a reservation that this skull cap had some design differences from the kippah. In particular, the bottom there was completely different. In some places, the kippah is still perceived as simply a fashionable and stylish thing without national roots.

In some countries, due to rising anti-Semitic sentiments, Jews are refusing to wear a kippah. For example, Joseph Sitruk, the chief rabbi of France, suggested that devout Jews wear a baseball cap instead of a kippah.

In addition to the characteristic differences in traditions and cultural characteristics, each people of the world has its own national costume, emphasizing its inherent identity and belonging to a particular religious movement.

National Jewish clothing is colorful and makes representatives of this nationality stand out from the crowd.

National Jewish clothing has a rich history. In the process of creating a traditional costume, representatives of this nationality managed to ensure that the resulting outfit allowed them to look natural anywhere, without depersonalizing them.

Important! Initially, this outfit was created with the aim of facilitating the process of assimilation in any state for representatives of the nation.

In the original version of this outfit, the influence of the Babylonian culture is clearly visible. Having gotten rid of slavery, representatives of this nationality subsequently continued to wear two shirts with long or short sleeves. Linen was worn underneath and wool was worn on top. A similar outfit was complemented with a wide belt. Belts of wealthy citizens were made of linen or woolen fabric and lavishly decorated with gold and precious stones. The poor used simple leather or felt products for this purpose.

During the reign of King Solomon Jewish national costumes acquired a more luxurious appearance. They began to be sewn from airy, light fabrics, decorated with precious stones, as well as gold and silver embroidery. Girls from wealthy families often wove strings of pearls, corals and gold plates into their hair., thereby trying to further emphasize their social position.

With the advent of the twentieth century, the traditional clothing of this nation gradually lost its former chic. The national attire has become much more restrained and laconic. For the most harmonious interaction with European society, Jews began to wear long frock coats and black hats. They have preserved this custom to this day, despite the fact that such clothing has long gone out of fashion throughout the world.

Features of Jewish costume

National Jewish attire managed, through the centuries, to preserve its originality and uniqueness, even despite the fact that much of it was borrowed from the clothing of other peoples. The traditional clothing of representatives of this nation is characterized by modesty and restraint. Modern people who are far from religion may even consider it old-fashioned.

Color shades

Traditional Jewish clothing is no different in the variety and richness of its color palette. During the period of settlement in small European cities in the 21st century, Jews tried to dress as simply and modestly as possible, so as not to attract unnecessary attention.

Reference! Neutrality is considered a characteristic feature of the Jewish national costume. In the hot season, representatives of this nation preferred to wear white clothes, and in cold weather, outfits of predominantly blue and brown colors.

Fabrics and style

Jewish culture has always been based on urban life. For this reason there are no peasant models of national Jewish attire.

Jewish girls never had to resort to self-production fabrics for sewing various items wardrobe In most cases, the fabrics needed for this were purchased at markets.

The type of fabric purchased for these purposes depended on wealth and local fashion.

Varieties of costume

Men's Jewish clothing

Male traditional outfit has a specific elegance. It consists of an ordinary black frock coat, a light shirt, trousers and a cape called a tallit katan.

The main feature of this element of Jewish clothing is that although the cape looks like outerwear, it is worn not only on top, but also directly on the shirt. The tassels should be straightened over the trousers.

Reference! Such a cape is a mandatory attribute of the national Jewish costume. It is shaped like a rectangle made of white fabric with a cutout for the head. Tassels called “tzitzit” are tied to the four corners of the cape. Each such brush ends with eight threads.

Women's Jewish clothing

Women's traditional Jewish attire consisted of a dress or blouse with a skirt and an apron. The main characteristic of these clothes was practicality. Outfits were made from fabrics mainly dark shades(brown, gray and black).

There was an opinion that the apron, in addition to its main function can also protect against the evil eye and curses. Dresses were usually decorated with lace and white embroidery, symbolizing purity.

The waist was tightly clasped by a leather belt.

Hats

An integral part of the traditional attire of Jewish men are headdresses, which include:

• yarmulke- knitted or made of fabric, a small round soft hat that covers the top of the head;
• cassette (dashek)- a cap of the old European style, usually worn over a skullcap;
• streimel- a fur hat with a velvet top, sometimes inherited from ancestors and worn on especially special occasions.

On weekdays, traditional Jewish costume men are complemented by a laconic black hat. Its size and elements depend on the social status of the owner.

Jewish women also wore hats with wigs under them. For decoration, graceful beads worn in two rows were usually used.

Shoes and accessories

As shoes comfortable black boots with high tops were used. These shoes were worn in the summer bare feet tightly and laced up to the very top, and in winter - on stockings knitted with one’s own hands, fastened with garters at knee level or slightly higher. Modern women usually wear flat shoes.

As accessories in most cases apply wide belts , in some cases, ties of the corresponding shade are also used. The use of a tie causes a lot of controversy, since when it is tied, a knot is formed that resembles a cross in shape.

Modern models of Jewish costume

IN modern world Traditional Jewish clothing continues to be quite popular. Mandatory elements of religious representatives of this nationality are a skull cap and a cape (photo).

Despite the fact that outwardly such wardrobe items have become a little simpler, a full-fledged national outfit is often worn to meetings and various special events.

National Jewish costume is a unique reflection of the peculiarities of the traditions of this people. At the same time, they remain true to their customs and views.

An Orthodox Jew must observe a minimum of 613 rules of the Pentateuch every day. According to them, not only food, but also clothing is kosher. Blogger Sergei Anashkevich decided to figure out exactly how religious Jews dress, and why they wear the clothes they do.

If you think that they are all equally black and white, then you are very mistaken. It turns out that there are 34 types of black hats alone, each of which carries information about its owner. Knowledgeable people can accurately indicate by the color of the stockings, the material of the lapserdak and the shape of the headdress: this is a Yerushalmi, this is a Hasid of such and such an admor, this is a bakhur, and this one is already married.

- Rebbe, did Abraham wear a black frock coat?
“I don’t know,” the rabbi answered, “whether Abraham walked around in a silk robe and shtreimle.” But I know exactly how he chose his clothes. I looked at how non-Jews dressed and dressed differently.

Already in biblical times, Jews dressed differently from other peoples, and, according to the Jewish sages, the people of Israel were awarded the exit from Egypt due to the fact that they did not change their clothes. Jewish people Since then it has dispersed throughout the world. But only its religious representatives, having met, will be able to recognize each other as blood brothers by the characteristic appearance of black clothing.

According to the orthodox themselves: “Clothing does not so much hide as it reveals the essence of a person. It is written: “Be humble before the Almighty.” We prefer dark suits because they are modest, festive and neat. That is why white shirts are “in fashion” among Orthodox Jews. That is why God-fearing Jews will never allow themselves to go out on the street wearing sandals on their bare feet.”

There is basic clothing - halachic, which is worn by any Jew who keeps the commandments. This garment includes a head covering and tzitzit with 4 edges. A mandatory element is a quadrangular cape (poncho) with a hole for the head and four tassels along the edges. The cape itself, called tallit katan (or arbekanfes), can be hidden under clothing or worn over a shirt, but the tassels are always straightened over the trousers. It is made from white wool with or without black stripes. The corners are reinforced with overlays made of simple fabric or silk, and threads of tzitzis - tassels commanded by the Torah - are threaded through the holes in the corners.

If there are two (or one) blue threads in the brush, then most likely you are looking at a Radzin or Izhbitsky Hasid. The secret of making theylet, a blue dye obtained from the chyloson mollusk, was lost almost 2000 years ago and was rediscovered at the end of the last century by Rabbi Gershon Hanoch of Radzin. However, most rabbis did not recognize his recipe. Sephardim and many Hasidim have not one, but two holes on each corner of the tallit katan. In addition, on some brushes, in addition to the four (double) obligatory knots, you can see from 13 to 40 small knots on the thread turns. This feature can also be used to distinguish members of different communities.

Traditional Jewish men's clothing- This is a tailcoat or frock coat. The tailcoat has no pockets and is fastened from right to left, like all traditional Jewish men's clothing (by non-Jewish standards, “female-style”), has a deep slit and two buttons at the back (where the tab is).

Robes are usually clothing for special occasions: festive silk, embroidered with a black on black pattern, a tish robe for festive dinners, a yeshiva robe made of the cheapest fabric without lining - for classes in a yeshiva or koilel. On Shabbat and Yom Tov, many Hasidim wear a special black satin cloak - bekeche. Both the hood, the frock coat, and the robe of the Hasid should be tied with a belt woven from black silk thread or fabric.

Litvaks may wear jackets on weekdays. Hasidim wear hoods (rekl), which naturally also have differences. For example, lapels are pointed or rounded, or instead of the usual three buttons there are six (two rows of three), this is the case among Satmar Hasidim. In addition to hoods, there are also bekechi (bekeshi), zhugshtsy (jube). And all this is strictly black.

The trousers can be either regular black or knee-length - ealb-goyen. Hungarian Hasidim wear short trousers; they tie the leg with a drawstring under the knee and wear black knee socks - zokn. In some communities, on holidays or Shabbat, it is customary to exchange black knee socks for white ones. Ger Hasidim tuck their regular trousers into knee socks. This is called “Cossack” knee-highs (kozak-zokn).

Non-black clothing is worn mainly by the Hasidim Reb Arele and some of the Breslov and other Hasidim residents of the Meo Sheorim quarter. On weekdays they look like this: a plush (flying saucer) on the head, under it - a weise yarmulka - a white knitted kippah with a tassel in the center of the dome. White shirt, wool tallit katan, vest and caftan made of special fabric (kaftn).

Kaftna fabric is white or silver with black or dark blue stripes. This fabric is produced only in Syria and is smuggled to East Yerushalayim. On Shabbat, the flying saucer will be replaced by a Chernobyl or regular shtreiml, and instead of a caftn with a silver background, the Hasid will wear a gold one. Sometimes (and on Shabbat and holidays - necessarily) a brown satin bekesha with an embroidered collar is thrown over the caftan.

Let's get back to the hats. A Jew almost always puts on a hat or cap over a kippah (yarmulka). In rare cases, it may be a cap of the old European cut, usually worn by old Hasidim from Russia and Poland - a kasket (kashket or dashek). Gray six-piece caps, vaguely similar to a cassette, are worn by children and teenagers in Litvak families. On weekdays, most traditional Jews wear a black hat. According to hat traders, there are 34 main types, each of which indicates origin, community affiliation and even social status owner.

The traditional hat of the hereditary Jews of Yerushalmi is plush. It is also called a flicker-teller - simply a flying saucer or super. It has wide brims, but a low crown - only 10 cm.

Other types of hats are made of velor (more like velvet or even short-haired black fur), which is as hard as ten-millimeter plywood. Among these hats one can highlight the Samet, one of the most expensive and luxurious styles; its owner is probably a Hungarian Hasid.

A simple Litvak or Lubavitcher Hasid wears a kneich hat with a longitudinal crease. Litvak, who occupies a high position in the community, will exchange the kneich for an expensive hamburg (or maftir-gitl) - without creases and dents. Many Hasidim wear on weekdays the simplest of hats - the kapelush, similar to a kneich, but without creases in the crown or bends in the brim. All of them are made of hard felt.

But the most “bright” and most eye-catching headdress of all is the shtreiml. This is the most natural fur hat. Only Hasidim wear it and only on Shabbat, yom tov, at a wedding or to meet the rebbe. Moreover, there are more than two dozen types.

Usually, it is a black velvet kippah, trimmed with fox or sable tails. Wide and low, correct cylindrical in fact, this is “shtreiml”, low and wide, loosely shaped, shaggy ones are called “chernoble”, and a tall black fur cylindrical hat is called “spodik”.

The price of a shtreiml can reach several thousand dollars. The history of shtreimla began many years ago, when non-Jews ordered the Jews of one of the communities to wear the tail of an animal on their heads. The purpose of this order was to humiliate and disgrace the Jew. The Jews had no choice, so they took animal tails and made hats out of them.

A simple shtreiml is worn by Hungarian, Galician and Romanian Hasidim, a shaggy chernobl by Ukrainians, and a spodik by Polish Hasidim. There are special styles of shtreiml, which are not worn by entire communities, but only by their heads, rabbeim. This group includes sobl or zoibl - a tall shtreiml made of sable fur, cap - something between a spodik and a shtreiml.

Shtreiml is worn only by married men. The only exception is a few dozen hereditary families in Yerushalayim. In these families, the boy first puts on the shtreiml on his coming of age, and his bar mitzvah at the age of thirteen.

In 2010, Pamela Anderson, an animal activist and fashion model, wrote a letter to members of the Knesset in the hope of persuading them to ban the sale of natural fur, and the Orthodox to stop wearing these furs.