About the author

Laya Millman

33 Comments

  • ck–you went to Hebrew U when you were 16 and look like you’re having an adorably fun time with the Rabbi’s kids? Um…will you marry me?

  • “Don’t presume that all of us were equally unimaginative.”

    At 16 I moved from Chomedy to CSL. In an effort to be cool, I wore acid died jeans and jacket to my first day at my new school (wagar). Now in Chomedy, that would’ve been cool…at Wagar, it wasn’t. During my 3rd day at Wagar, I threw a stone at a bunch of birds. In flight, one of ’em crapped on my cheek (no joke). I spent my forth day wondering which is worse:

    a) a cupper across the head from manny kakoulous
    b) a bird crapping on your face in front of a bunch of really hot japs

    Needless to say, I identified strongly with Michael Anthony Hall’s character in the Breakfast Club.

  • Except for a few little things. I went to Hebrew U when I was 16. My 17th summer was spent traipsing across Europe. The last time I visited the Rec I was 13 and McDonalds? Always for losers. Just like Crescent Street.

    By the time I got back to Montreal I knew better than to think that Crescent was in any way shape or form “fun.” But I am glad you made the most out of your time in Chomedey. Don’t presume that all of us were equally unimaginative.

    😉

  • “Crescent street in Montreal, a ball cap wouldn’t be enough to hide my shame, I’d have to wear a bag over my head lest someone mistake me for a cheese doodle.”

    In the mid-late 80’s, and when you’re 17, it was all the rage. Also, when you grow up in Chomedy, anything post-Recreoteque/McD’s was a fab night out.

  • speaking of MOs in disguise….okay…so back in the day before jsirpicco was on the job and undercover…I went into a bar in NYC on a Friday Night….dude there wearing a knit kippah….playing video game —

    at the time, I was NOT so into my tribe and espeically the Orthos among us, but one thing I couldn’t deal with was BLATANT hipocracy….boy, that bugged me on a Friday Night…
    I said to my buddy, “I feel like going up to that guy and saying, Shabbat Shalom, dude!”

    Jsirpicco was not always so tolerant of people’s “needs” and “levels,” and all that…didn’t see the point of being halfway…but that’s another story…

    So….ummm, maybe there’s a case for those baseball caps after all, except now that everyone knows, so what’s the disguise?

    Maybe Jewlicious should sell drapeaux caps for these kinds of emergencies – when you absolutely, positively HAVE to go out onf FRIDAY NIGHT! It’s a money maker, for sure!

    okay and here’s blatant self-promotion: jsirpicco.blogspot.com –
    reports from an undercover Jewish guy doing his thing in a big bad city!

  • shtreimel: Me? A modern Orthodox Jew? In disguise???

    That’s so cute! I mean dude, I have a full head of hair, I am wearing an I Love Hashem T-Shirt, and I am in the middle of a Jewish student conference. If I am trying to hide my Jewishness, I’m not doing a very good Job. Furthermore, if I ever had the extremely bad taste to go to a club on Crescent street in Montreal, a ball cap wouldn’t be enough to hide my shame, I’d have to wear a bag over my head lest someone mistake me for a cheese doodle.

    Jess: What is this “it” I am trying to hide with my I Love Hashem t-shirt?

  • The advent of the knit cap, in addition to its brother, the baseball cap, is also one of the foremost protectors of receding hairlines everywhere.

    But seriously, you people who missed the conference? Suckas.

  • Wake up everybody! I am here to offer insider information! Ask me anything…

  • Michael, I know just what you’re talking about. It’s like that with skirts, too. Some people wear really cool skirts and it looks like they’re wearing the skirt because the skirt is cool while others (probably spawns of cap weating joggers) will wear like long denim skirts with nice shoes and tights or something and look…well, just like those Jewish businessmen. 🙂
    I, of course, only wear coooooool skirts.

  • My dad wore a beret at work after becoming frum. He held out for a while after moving here, but they are in a pretty haredi area in Jerusalem so he’s now got a Godfather Borsalino.

    Lot of creative “Hindu beanies” among the modernO / BTs here. Wouldn’t work in most part of the US, though.

    And all you PALEFACES – move to the country G-d intended us to live in, and you can have all the sun you want!

    Enjoy –
    Ben-David

  • Michael,

    You don’t get it…Dina does. The cap is not meant to “color up” the kippah, rather, it’s a “clark kent” for the kippah. It’s almost “Hip to be square” or “Tragically Hip” but not really. Just kinda misses it by a few notches. Oy Jews, no matter how hard we try, we’re so Woody A.

  • Dude, it’s all about the caps. All the frum guys I know have stylin’ caps. Straight outta the shtetl.

    Seriously, why go with a boring old kippah when you can rock a classy hat? Or some kind of colorful head wrap? Or even a turban? It’s a wide, wide world of head coverings out there.

  • shtreimal. I’m passing out from laughter. How about cover-ups? Are you familiar with those? It’s this tee-shirt that is so humongous that it reachs past the knees and the sleeves (while intended to be short) go past the elbows and there’s no shape whatsoever…perfect for canoeing down the Delaware with your all-girls camp or for walking to the pool in your bungalow colony! (snood not included)

  • HA DINA!!!!

    Yeah, that’s by far my favorite look. How about this one….

    I’ve got a buddy who goes for walks with his wife and they both wear baseball caps (He does it because he doesn’t want to appear “too Jewish” and she does it out of modesty). So he’s wearing slacks and button down shirt and baseball cap. And she’s in her long skirt and….baseball cap. Now that’s style. And for you Vice fans, you just know that’s going to show up in the NOT category.

  • My favorite’s when men who don’t wear kippot to work leave and put caps on until they get to their cars or bus or train…the formal outfit, nice shoes, and cap. Total Jewish businessman chic.

  • “….so big deal shreimel figured it out….”

    Actually, it’s not that big of a secret…and that’s the joke. Get it?

    When my frum dudes and I hit a club on Crescent St. in Montreal, we’d always look like a mis-matched baseball team looking for a diamond. To an outsider, it must’ve looked quite strange…not as strange as a shtreimel though.

  • It’s okay to wear the baseball cap ck….so big deal shreimel figured it out….

    but how many people at this jewlicious conference? This is the main question? Looks great though…Take a bow, people…

    jsirpicco.blogspot.com
    under cover in a big bad city

  • And CK’s got the traditional garb of the Modern Orthodox Jew….

    the baseball cap. Nothing screams Orthodox Jew and traif restaurants more than a worn in basecap 😉

  • Looks like Laya has some forehead wrinkle action goin on. Must be all the fun they’re having. 🙂

  • “my ghostly white skin needs some more sunblock.”

    Hey, when you’ve got a lemon, make…

    Seriously, all it takes is some Bauhaus tunes, black jeans and voila, goths are envying you the world over.

  • Yes. Fun. With the Jews. Tonight, at the beach even! Don’t hate us because we’re in California. Now if you’ll excuse me, my ghostly white skin needs some more sunblock.

  • Looks like you’re having fun. Nice.

    BTW, a very good friend of mine moved to Van from Montreal. So this was the 1st shabbos we spent together. Damn, what a difference. To those who question the power of Shabbat (me?), it takes only one good friend to make the whole thing worth it. Two or three close friends, and your wondering how you ever lived life without it.