Who's Crocheting Your Kippa?

Who's Crocheting Your Kippa?

Is it Chanie or Shaindey?

If you buy one in the US, its probably crocheted by Fatima. The Arab Times reports via Reuters:

DEIR ABU MESHAL, West Bank, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Of all the cottage industries you might expect to find in the Israeli- occupied West Bank, the crocheting of Jewish skullcaps by Palestinian hands seems one of the oddest.

But creating the colourful cap, known in Hebrew as a 'kippah', keeps hundreds of women busy in villages like Deir Abu Meshal, which have been making the religious headgear for their Jewish neighbours for some 40 years. Almost every house in the village of 3,000 west of Ramallah makes the little caps. It's a social event as well as a helpful cash-earner. Women bring their wool and needles to each other's home to crochet and chat.

'We make qors (the Arab name for kippah translates as 'disc') while having a gossip,' said Umm Ali. 'We meet each other and we make money at the same time,' added the mother of three, whose husband is unemployed.

The women make around five caps a day, worth about 12 shekels ($3) each.

'Women here can't sit down without knitting. We've gotten used to it,' jokes Ruqaya Barghouthi.

Six Palestinian skullcap dealers distribute the wool, needles and the models to women in this village and 10 neighbouring villages.

The finished articles are collected each week and shipped to Israeli retailers. The skullcaps are also exported to the United States.

'The kippah business is what makes my shop busy. Women buy stuff from the kippah money they earn,' said Riyad Ata, whose grocery store serves as a collection point for finished caps from some 100 women.

Observant Jews wear a kippah, which means dome in Hebrew, to cover the head in acknowledgement of the supreme God.

The women of Deir Abu Meshal, known for its traditional dress embroidery, say that to them it's merely a business.

They say they have no qualms about furnishing skullcaps for the people of the occupying power or the Jewish settler, who may be living on Palestinian land.

They say the work is convenient: they don't have to travel.

'Without this knitting business, people here would be very poor,' said Nema Khamis, 50, who passed on her skills to her five daughters and daughter-in-law.

Palestinian weavers used to make the traditional keffiyeh, the chequered Arab headscarf that late leader Yasser Arafat made a national Palestinian symbol. But much of that business has now gone to China, where costs are lower.

The article is a bit silly by stating, " have no qualms about furnishing skullcaps for the people of the occupying power or the Jewish settler, who may be living on Palestinian land," considering as the article also states -- the kippot are mostly for export to the US.

Here in Israel, when not made by a friend, the vast majority of kippot are imported -- mostly from Romania, if my kippa suppliers is being honest.

Hat-tip: Honest Abe.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Disgracing My Religion

One of the most cynical uses of religion in Israel is the "fashionable" wardrobe addition of a kippa -- on the heads of criminals.

People that never before wore a kippa are suddenly wearing kippot on their way to courthouses for pre-trial hearings, during testimony, before sentencing, in jail, or anywhere possible they believe they can persuade people that they are "religious, do-gooders" deserving of leniency for being religious or that they aren't guilty in the first place.

Let's take the 17 year old youngster at our left. He is accused (and has admitted to) stabbing and killing attorney Anat Plinner 2 years ago at her home in Ramat Hasharon in April 2006, in front of her young children.

In all the pictures of him in the media that I've seen till now, he is always bare-headed. (see picture below on the right). However, today in court the youth decided to don a kippa, and vent at reporters outside the court prior to the hearing. His rants included rather foul language, swearing at the reporters, throwing a microphone in their direction and telling them to "get out of here." The suspect then said he was "sorry," before being hushed by his lawyer.

Luckily for the kippa-wearing community, the Plinner family are no fools. They became enraged at the suspect's religious appearance and shouted "don't shame our religion," as the suspect left the court.

"For two years, detectives were left without a lead in the case, until they arrested a boy for stealing a moped. A DNA sample taken from the suspect matched fingerprints taken by forensic officers from the murder scene. Police launched a major undercover investigation, which resulted in the suspect's arrest.

After initially denying the killing, the youth confessed, providing police with details that proved he was at the scene during the murder. He later reenacted the slaying outside of Plinner's home, wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a baseball cap.(JPost)"

Hiding behind religion in Israel is nothing new. Convicts have grown tzitzis and kippot overnight...newly added beards and black hats have been added to "frumify" the seedier members of society. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these people are not returning to the fold of religious Judaism, but cynically looking for clemency.

In a similar vein, in the days of the Bible people attempted to hold on to the corners of the mizbeach -- the holy alter as a method of refuge from the law.

Exodus/Shmot Chapter 21: 14: And if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from Mine altar, that he may die.

The Book of Kings/Sefer Melachim, Chapter 1: 50 And Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. 51 And it was told Solomon, saying: 'Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon; for, lo, he hath laid hold on the horns of the altar, saying: Let king Solomon swear unto me first of all that he will not slay his servant with the sword.' 52 And Solomon said: 'If he shall show himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth; but if wickedness be found in him, he shall die.' 53 So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and prostrated himself before king Solomon; and Solomon said unto him: 'Go to thy house.'

Back then it was for refuge, and the expression has even been incorporated into modern Hebrew. "לאחוז בקרנות המזבח" To hold on to the corners of the mizbeach translates in today's terms, to cynically use a political, military, or Jewish spin as a means of circumventing justice.

Picture Credits:
Top picture, Ynet
Second Picture Channel 2.


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Paris Wrapup. On to England...

Paris is history.

I'm now sitting in a Hilton hotel lounge in southern England, waiting for their CRASHED computer system to come up so they can check in all the people (like me) waiting here in the lounge. Some are on their laptops typing away, others drinking and drinking...

So, while I'm waiting to check in, here's my Paris story for you.

(Just as a side point, I was given a demo today, and the person who presented the demo was named, "JAMAL". I almost burst out laughing in his face...my life is such a blog post, or the otherway around)

My French work colleague was very gracious and offered to drive me around Paris a bit before my flight out this evening. When I hosted him in Yerushalayim last month I went around the old city with him, so he was very happy to reciprocate.

On our drive to the Eiffel Tower, he told me about how as a French national, he was proud that France is doing a lot to come to grips with its complicity with the Nazis during the Holocaust. He spoke about memorials being erected to remember France's part in the deportation of Jews, classes being taught in schools, and the rigid "Holocaust anti-denial" laws.

I told him that I still hadn't decided whether I would wear a kippa or a cap when going outside to the different sights to take pictures, and when he heard my indecision, he was absolutely horrified.

He was deeply embarrassed that antisemitism is so rampant that almost all Jews refrain from wear kippot in France, and he insisted that I wear my kippa. He was literally overwhelmed that I was considering otherwise, and repeated over and over, "you MUST wear it...you must," as if wearing a cap would humiliate him -- that I would be in danger by proudly expressing my Judaism in his country.

I decided in the end (to his relief) to wear my kippa as I got out at the Eiffel Tower to take some pictures and mingle in the crowd to get better shots. Don't get me wrong -- there were stares and stares from many people there, but I ignored them as I took my pictures (and kept looking around, ready to defend myself from any attack).

While it was depressing that I had to be in such a defensive mode, my colleague was very appreciative, and he respected me even more afterwards.

Oh..my hotel just announced (after a whole hour of waiting) that their computer systems are up and running. Therefore, I'll just post some pics of mine from today, and will continue blogging tomorrow.





Layla Tov.

Jameel

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael

Viva La Muqata!

With all the things going on, (the lawsuit against Orthomom, Israel Police Chief Karadi resigning, our new IDF Chief of Staff Ashkenazi, and more), I find myself in Paris of all places.

I'm unable to blog it all now but hopefully, I'll have it up this evening.

It's grey and gloomy in Paris today and I'm about to visit the Eifel Tower.

The big question is, "to wear my kippa everywhere or a baseball cap?"

Pros: Jewish Pride. Kiddush Hashem.
Cons: Could get beaten up.

I'll let you know how it works out, and put up some pictures as well.

Regards,

Jameel





Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael