Religious Dress

A devout male Jew will always wear the Kippah (skull cap) on his head as a demonstration of his respect and reverance for God, and as a reminder that he is duty bound to follow the laws of God at all times and in all places.

A Tefilin is a small leather box with long handle straps attached. These boxes are worn on the left forearm and on the forehead during weekday morning prayers. Inside the boxes are passages from the scriptures. A Tefilin worn on the left arm, near to the wearer’s heart, is a reminder to keep God’s laws with all their heart. A Tefilin worn on the forehead reminds Jews to concentrate on the teachings of the Torah with their full mind.

Before beginning to worship or pray the devout Jew will often put on a Tallit, a prayer shawl. The fringes on the shawl remind them of the many commandments of the Torah.