In about an hour I'm hopping in a car with four other eager Jewish college students to trek to Crown Heights for the International Shabbaton there this weekend. We'll be eating Shabbos meals by family members of the Chabad rabbi on campus and partying it up Crown Heights style, I guess. There are several things I've had to think about in packing for the trip, and even though I got a 50-50 (yes-no) response on whether it was a faux pas to wear a Jean Skirt to the Shabbaton weekend, I've decided against it.
Why?
I don't know. I was browsing the web and found a ChabadTalk forum ranting and raving about how Jean Skirts should be banned (as they evidently are or were in Israel in some places) since they're not so tzinius. So whatever, I have plenty of skirts. Yes, people might look at me in a Jean Skirt and say "she's probably Modern Orthodox," but I'd rather not deal with anything that might make ME uncomfortable.
Don't get me wrong, I love skirts. I own more skirts now than I did pretty much my entire life. So it's a something, considering I used to be very anti-skirt in my pant-loving days of my youth (sort of never was a girly girl, that is, despite mom dressing me up in jumpers and homemade dresses crafted on her sewing machine).
At any rate, I think I'll have a lot to write about post-Shabbat.
Is it sad that when Shabbat rolls around the thing I worry about the most is my hair? You cookie-cutter Jewish girls with your long dark hair don't know how easy you have it! Yes, I might stand out and look hip and different, but on Shabbos morning? This do is a mess!
Shabbat Shalom, everyone!
Nov 7, 2008
Hitting the Road, Jack!
9:19 AM
Chaviva Gordon-Bennett
3 comments:
Shabbat Shalom to you, Chavi. I hope you have a great time in Crown Heights! Looking forward to the write-up in the next few days.
Rachel
Eh, us "cookie cutter Jewish girls with long dark hair" still have our fair share of styling to do before shabbat. ;)
You definitely would not have found yourself the recipient of awkward glances if you had worn the jean skirt (unless perhaps on shabbat). Especially on this specific shabbaton. (Sorry, I realize this advice is coming a bit late.)
Hope you enjoyed the shabbaton.
@Rachel No.1 SHAVUA TOV! Hah. I love saying that when I know it's your blog name :)
@Rachel No. 2 Indeed there is some work that goes into it for the girls with the long hair, but, well, ... stay tuned and you'll read how the hair thing played out in the community, lol.
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