Textiles and Dress

Head covering for Jewish women

According to halacha (Jewish religious law), married Orthodox Jewish women are expected to cover their hair when in the presence of men other than their husband or close family members. Such covering is common practice among Orthodox Jewish women. This is called kisui rosh (Hebrew: כיסוי ראש). Most Jews are not Orthodox and do not cover their hair. The practice is often compared to the Islamic concept of hijab, also generally interpreted as requiring the covering of the hair. Different kinds of hair coverings are used, among them the headscarf (Hebrew: מטפחת, romanized: mitpachat; Yiddish: טיכל, romanized: tichel), snood, hat, and wig (Yiddish: שייטל, romanized: sheitel), each with many variations. The headscarf and snood remain the historic and universally accepted rabbinical standard for observant Jewish women. The headscarves can be tied in a number of ways, depending on how casually the wearer is dressed. Covering the hair is part of the modesty-related dress standard called tzniut. The hair is considered a body part that should only be seen by one's husband.

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See also

• ▸Canvas
• ▸Darkestrah
• ▸Brenninkmeijer family

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