Black knitted kippa?

If it’s apolitical, then straw men won’t wear it.

I don’t think anything about people based on what kind of kippah they wear.

My uncle happens to wear a black knitted kippah. He also wears a black hat when davening, and gives a daf yomi shiur every day. He’s finished Shas 3 times through Daf Yomi, and reviews it regularly. I’d say he’s a good Jew, and leave it at that.

i think middle aged or older OOT baal habatim wear this type because to them it looks the most :normal: to the outside world. It sits neatly on your head and blends in much better. its not conspicuous. it doesnt make a “chareidi” statement either. I think OOT , at least where im from, its what a regular good Jew wears. not yeshivish, not lubavitch, not YU, just regular baal habus..

I applaud the intellectual bent of this topic.

Perhaps you can start some other similarly stimulating thread. Maybe it can be woven into a colorful twisted shape that is meant to be higly politically charged.

At a shtieble in Marine Park last week, I saw a guy in a black hat and knitted black kippah under his hat.

My own rabbi’s favorite headcovering is a black fedora over a white and blue kippa sruga. 🙂

More important than precisely what is ON the head, is what is inside of it. Jewish men are supposed to cover their heads. The Yarmulke (Yirah Malka), signifies that they are aware at all times of Who is Above them. Does it REALLY, REALLY matter if the kippah is made of velvet, suede, or yarn, as long as it is being worn consistently and with the right kavanah? I think too many people are hung up on what type of kippah is being worn, versus what type of mensch is wearing it.

I don’t think knitted kippot exist. Knitting usually uses heavy yarn and two needles.

There are crochet kippot. Made with a fine yarn (DMC) and one needle.

You may view it as hair splitting but so is an techum around a square town vs a round town.

dullradiance- if you’re gonna ‘knit’pick :), knitting uses 2 needles but either crochet or knitting can use both fine or thick yarn. So yeah, most kippot are crochet, cuz its easy to crochet round, but they can be knit too

i’ve seen a number of men wearing the black knitted ones. It does seem to be between typical kippa sruga and velvet.

Sam2, if that Agudah representative was guilty of thinking the yarmulka is more important than what’s underneath, he wouldn’t have cared what kind of shiur the fellow gave. Your story actually illustrates my point.

The point you may wish to make is about prejudices and assumptions based on externals, but I don’t know people who actually think these externals are more important.

DY: That is a nice Chilluk to make and it’s true for the vast majority of people (though I have heard otherwise normal and knowledgeable people throw the words “Srugi” or “Black Hatter” around as intended insults). But the prejudice is still there and it is definitely something that should be fought. It’s idiotic to judge a person based on externals like what type of Kippah is worn. But almost everyone does it. They don’t think it’s more important than what’s underneath the Kippah per se. But far too many times they’re just not interested in seeing what’s underneath after they see the Kippah that they don’t like.

Machiach Poem

Machiach Poem

The Arrival of Mashiach

To All of ‘Us’ From One of ‘Them’

‘Twas the night of the geulah,

and in every single shteibel,

sounds of Torah could be heard

coming from every kind of Yeidel.

This one in English,

some in Hebrew, some in Yiddish,

some saying pshat,

and some saying a chiddush.

And up in shamayim

The Aibishter decreed,

“The time has now come

for My children to be freed.

Rouse the Mashiach

from his Heavenly th,

have him get his chariot

and head down to Earth.”

The Mashiach got dressed,

and with a heart full of glee

went down to the Earth, and entered

the first shteibel he did see.

“I’m the Mashiach,

Hashem has heard your plea,

our geulah has come,

it is time to go free!”

They all looked up

from their learning,

this was quite a surprise.

And they looked at him carefully

with piercing sharp eyes.

He’s not the Mashiach!”

said one with a grin.

“Just look at his hat,

at the pinches and brim!”

“That’s right!” cried another

with a grimace and a frown,

“Whoever heard of Mashiach

with a brim that is down?!”

“Well,” thought Mashiach,

“If that is the rule,

I’ll turn my brim up

before I got to the next shul!”

So he walked on right over

to the next shul in town,

confident to be accepted

since his brim was no longer down.

“I’m the Mashiach!” he cried

as he began to enter.

But the Jews there wanted to know first,

if he was left, right or center.

“Your clothes are so black!:

they cried out in a fright.

“You can’t be Mashiach–

you’re much too far right!

If you want to be Mashiach,

you must be properly outfitted.”

So they replaced his black hat

with a kipa that was knitted.

Wearing his new kipa,

Mashiach went out and he said,

“No difference to me

what I wear on my head.”

So he went to the next shul,

for his mission was dear.

But he was getting a bit frustrated

with the Yidden down here.

“I’m the Mashiach!” he cried,

and they all stopped to stare.

And a completed eerie stillness

filled up the air.

“You’re the Mashiach?!”

Just imagine that.

Whoever heard of Mashiach

without a black hat?!”

But I do have a hat!”

the Mashiach then said.

So he pulled it right out

and plunked it down on his head.

Then the shul started laughing,

and one said, “Where’s your kop?

You can’t have Mashiach

wit a brim that is up!

IF you want to be Mashiach

and be accepted in this town,

put some pinches in your hat,

and turn that brim down!”

Mashiach walked out and said,

“I guess my time hasn’t really come,

I’ll just have to return

to where I came from.”

So he went to his chariot,

but as he began to enter,

all sorts of Jews appeared

from the left, right, and center.

“Please wait, do not leave,

it’s all their fault!” they said.

And they pointed to each other,

and to what was on each other’s head.

Mashiach just looked sad,

and said, “YOU don’t understand.”

And then started up his chariot

to get out of this land.

“Yes, it’s very wonderful,

that all of you learn Torah.

But you seem to have forgotten,

a crucial part of our mesorah.”

“What does he mean?

What’s he talking about?”

And they all looked bewildered,

and all began to shout.

Mashiach looked back and answered,

“The first place to start,

is to shut up your mouths,

and open up your heart.

To each of you, certain Yidden

seem too frum or too frei,

but all Yidden are beloved,

in the Aisbishter’s eye.”

And on his way up he shouted,

“IF you want me to come,

try working a little harder

on some ahavas chinam.”

CYZF Toronto 1992. This may be freely reproduced an distributed under

the following conditions:

1) That it is reproduced exactly as it appears here, including the heading,

all 30 stanzas, and this note;

2) it is distributed free of charge;

3) it is not used by any organization for promotional purposes. Any

breach of these conditions shall constitute gezel and a breach of

copyright.

Avi K, I have seen this poem before, and boy, what a terrific eye-opener it is!

Someone who wears a crocheted kippah is viewed as somehow religiously “inferior” to the suede or velvet-kippah wearers, and you KNOW that is true.

To repeat what I told Sam, that’s stereotyping, not thinking the kippah is more important than what’s underneath it.

I wish that you were correct DY, because what you state is how it ideally SHOULD be. But in practical terms, it absolutely is NOT, unfortunately. Ask yourself how many Yeshivish families would agree to a shidduch with a boy who wears a crocheted kippah (even if he also wore a hat, and if he DIDN’T wear a hat, then it is not even in the ball park).

I used to be very idealistic and imagine the world the way I wanted to see it be. But sadly, there is so much emphasis placed on levush (and the kippah serugah is part of that levush definition), that many people do NOT act ideally with each other in a mutually respectful way. I sincerely wish that it WERE as you believe it to be.

Years ago, there was an article in JO about the difficulty Americans faced in aliya. They highlighted the cultural markers of Americans and American Jews as forgiving, non-confrontational, and NON-JUDGEMENTAL

Neverthelessd, the prejudging DOES occur, and is more often coming from the side that does not believe in wearing a “Srug” kippah. Wishing it were different does not make it so. It’s good, though, that you see people in a positive light. I hope you are never disappointed.

SYAG,

“I personally think a major difference is that people view the “black hatters” as self proclaimed holier people so their infarctions are considered hypocrisy in addition to bad middos.”

Hum – I thought that the “non black hatters” assert that they are no less holy. Who is being hypocritical? And who is prejudging someones intentions?

At a minimum, it is a very poor excuse, to the point that it has no legs to stand on.

Ther are those who wear specific yarmulkas/kippot to proclaim a political affiliation or even hashkafic affiliation. Those who don the yalmulka/kippot with such intentions are fair game as far as being identified by that label that they have chosen to display.

Well, according to the logic of some posters, if he would wear a black one, he would be considered choshuv by those who don’t believe in wearing kippot srugot.