30 December 2022
Question
Why do Chassidic Jews wear long black coats and black hats? You look like a cross between a 17th century Polish nobleman and an Italian mafia boss. How is that appropriate for Jews, especially on a hot summer Shabbat?
Answer
I wear a black coat and hat. And I don’t believe I have ever been mistaken for a mafioso or a Polish nobleman. I can’t read people’s minds. But I would imagine they’d look at me with fear if they thought I was a mobster. And perhaps they’d bow or curtsy if they thought I was from the aristocracy. I have not noticed people doing either.
But I have noticed looks of familiarity, coming from Jews who are proud to see a conspicuous member of the tribe. And I have often been greeted with “Shalom” from friendly non-Jews who admire the Jewish people.
Of course I have also received other not-so-friendly greetings from those who have less admiration for Jews. But I have never been called a dirty Italian or filthy Pole. So it seems whether friend or foe, everyone gets it - I am a Jew. And that is the point.
Many factors may be considered when choosing what to wear. Some check the latest fashions to see what is in. Others check the latest weather to see what is comfortable. But that is making a choice based on the world outside. A chassidic Jew dresses to express what is inside. We dress to look Jewish. We wear our souls on our sleeves.
The message is unmistakable: to our enemies, you can’t get rid of us. To our friends, the people of the Bible are still the people of the Bible. And to our fellow Jews, there’s nothing to fear, be a proud and unapologetic Jew. My very presence is a loud testimony to all that Am Yisrael Chai - the Jewish people is alive and well.
I am not weather appropriate. My warmth comes not from the sun, but from the soul. I am not fashionable. What’s in today is out tomorrow. The Jew is here to stay.
