ISRAEL

Jewish hats in Israel: a primer

By Susan Spano
04:32 PM PST, December 17, 2008

In Israel headgear is no simple thing.

Observant Jewish men cover their heads out of respect for God, but they do so in different ways. Some wear fedoras or black hats. On Shabbat and holidays, many ultra-Orthodox Hasidim dress in traditional Polish noble garb, complete with long black cloaks and large, fur-lined hats, or shtreimels.

Most common are yarmulkes, small skullcaps known as kippot.

Black satin and velvet kippot are worn by Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, often underneath their black hats.

Crocheted kippot denote a modern Orthodox, nationalistic perspective.

Kippot with Jewish stars, army motifs and the logos of sports teams -- like those shown here at Tel Aviv's Carmel Market -- are popular with tourists.

susan.spano@latimes.com

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