A teenage Jewish kid from New Palz added me as a friend on MySpace. What I found was important enough to share with everyone:
Hello I am Dan T. from New Paltz. Well any way in 2003 we created Yarmulke Day. Yarmulke Day is on the day before Winter Break when students of all races and religions wear Yarmulkes or Yamikas it sounds better. It all started when teachers waved the no hat policy for those Santa hats so I thought well then I want to wear a hat to. This year in New Paltz/The World Yarmilka day is December 22nd. The best part of this is Yarmulke are not considered Holy items like a Torah, and legally they can’t tell you to take it off. So show some support and add this profile to your top friends list! I am not sure how you want to look at this holiday, its ether school rebellion or a peace statement or both Thanks.
Make sure to add him as a friend, and check out his gallery of famous folks in yarmulkes!
World Yarmulke day is a super idea…gotta love that kid…and the comments on the pictures too. Thanks for posting!
Excellent! Count me in!
The synagogue I work at has an annual Mitzvah Day, but also emphasizes that “Every day is Mitzvah Day” (should be, anyway!)–so, for some I know that every day is Yarmulke Day, but it’s great that on this day even more people will be doing so.
Several years ago, my husband decided to try out every day being Yarmulke Day (after perhaps 7 years of wearing one all day on Shabbat & holidays, but only when required for davening/brachot/study on other days)–still going strong with a fashionable array of kippot…and I’m wearing mine more & more, for at least most or all of my shul workday (added to the practices above, which we both had adopted as our minhag about 10 years ago in Oxford). He’s found it interesting being a Visible Jew–you get into conversations & are asked questions that wouldn’t otherwise come up–and I’d say the same about being a Visible Kippah-Wearing Female Jew (somewhat different conversations & questions, though).
This is a made up holiday and i think whoever made it up is a jerk.
I’m sorry you feel that way, but I happen to disagree. I did make up this holiday, but I don’t think you really understand what it is about. It is about faith and tolerance and unity. I am 16 — post bar mitzvah & a hebrew school teaching assistant — I take my Judaism very seriously, and this is not about mocking traditions, it is about bringing people together in understanding (and maybe a little rebellion) once a year.
Besides, lots of things were “made up” rather than given on Sinai: Tu B’shevat –at least as celebrated with seders and symbolism–is pretty much the work of 16th-c-and-later kabbalists, as is our Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat preceding Ma’ariv; Yom HaShoah, Yom Yerushalayim, Yom Ha’atzma’ut, and all other holidays or solemn days–civic or (semi-)religious that have to do with modern history (including American Independence Day, Veteran’s Day/Armistice Day, etc.)…not all of these, l’havdil, are of the same tenor as World Yarmulke Day–but being a new creation is not something that disqualifies an event or commemoration or symbolic act from having significance.
Does anyone else think that the picture of Tony Blair looks insane?
Oh, and it’s a great idea. I’m just starting to wear my kippah all the time. I’m wondering if it will defuse any of those “Merry Xmas” bombs that crop up this time of year…
I have a few ideas of my own. HOw about world Shtreimel day or world bekesha day. Food for thought
Dan, I think that is a great idea of yours. But I think we should wear them at places like Walmart, where ” Merry Xmas” has returned with a vengence. Informing people of other religions is VERY important. Repecting them is as well, so your idea goes a long way towards that. My kippa are sort of ornate for the job I do, but I do have my first, which is a basic one that I will wear to work.
Yasher Koach!