TOO MANY HATS

BS"D


A comment was made recently by one of the alters at our shul. The comment was this:

"The women are wearing too many hats to services"

At first I thought to myself, "That's wierd - the married women only wear one hat each". & then I thought, "oh, how kind of them - they recognise how much work we all do to keep our poor little synagogue running". But then it was explained to me - because I *am* a blonde - that the comment was a complaint against the married women who cover their hair.

Wowee. I never would have imagined. There's been some growing pains in the house, that's all. The alters consider us UTJ, which is still our official affiliation, but us young'uns consider our shul to be Orthodox & want to change affiliations. & honestly, I can't tell the difference between the two, really. We daven with a mechitzah, use the Artscroll Ashkenaz sidur, have a chalavi kitchen for which our rabbi - with Orthodox s'mikha - is the mashgiach...& the more younger people who join, the more women with covered heads there are at services. I thought that was a *good* thing...I don't see the problem, myself. You know, higher membership, more traditional observance...

Now don't get me wrong, I know that there are about as many things a married woman can choose, halakhically or not, to do with her hair (including nothing) as there are types of hair. & not every wed woman does cover her hair - most of us wear hats & have our hair hanging down. I usually either tuck all my hair up inside a hat or wear a tichl. But I don't see what's so offensive that anybody would feel the need to make a complaint about us on the other side of the mechitzah (where they shouldn't be looking) & our observant dress.

& I feel uncomfortable when Jews judge each other negatively for making different Halakhic choices, one from the other.

What about Ahavas Yisro'el?