Tzitzit are specially knotted ritual fringes, or tassels worn by most Jewish men and boys during prayer. Tzitzit are attached to the four corners of the
tallit (Jewish prayer shawl) and in more traditional communities are tied to all four-cornered garments.
Tefillin are black leather boxes made by hand which contain written passages from the Hebrew Bible, particularly the
V'ahavta and secured to the arm and head with leather straps. These have been worn for at least the last 2,000 years and originated in pre-diaspora Judaism. These are almost exclusively worn by very religious Jews during weekday prayers, and not worn outside of religious functions in order to prevent one from 'defiling' them. Curiously, while Ashkenazi and some Sephardi men have the custom to wear these during prayer, many outlying communities such as the
Beta Israel did not, until they were introduced to the custom by Israelis or Ashkenazi missionaries. A
kippah or yarmulke is a cloth head covering worn by Jews during prayer or other ritual services. Some wear it every day. In the United States, most synagogues and Jewish funeral services keep a ready supply of kippot for the temporary use of visitors who have not brought one. A , or in
Yiddish, is a headscarf worn by some religious Jewish women. It is customary for a married woman, but some women choose to wear them only during religious occasions. Various formal hats are worn by Jewish men in Hasidic Jewish circles and sometimes in other traditional communities, generally on top of a , generally reflecting a particular cultural background, and sometimes reflecting one's age, marital status, rabbinical rank or lineage. In general, hats are only worn on top of a yarmulke after a Jewish male reaches age, although some communities, such as Belz and Viznitz, have boys under age wear caps known as on top of their .
Fedoras, generally black with a wide brim, are worn by men from
Litvish,
Yeshivish, and
Chabad-Lubavitch communities, and these are worn by both single and married men.
Homburg style hats are often worn by rabbis of higher rank in Litvish and Yeshivish circles.
Derby hats are worn by Hasidic men in certain communities, sometimes signifying lay status as opposed to rabbinical status.
Biber hats are worn by Hasidic men, both married and unmarried, in certain communities, with varied styles signifying which community one belongs to, or sometimes rabbinical status. are worn by married men (or previously married men, such as divorced men and widowers) in many Hasidic communities and the Sabbath, major holidays, and special occasions such as weddings; and by unmarried boys after in certain traditional Jerusalemite communities, such as Toldos Aharon. are worn by married (et al.) men in certain Hasidic communities originating in Poland on the same occasions when a is worn in other communities, particularly the communities of Gur, Alexander, and Amshinov. are worn by unmarried boys over age who are from rabbinical families, and by certain Hasidic rabbis on special occasions that are more than a regular weekday but not warranting the wearing of a , such as lighting Hanukkah candles and conducting a on Rosh Chodesh or Tu B'Shvat. In Mizrachi communities, these are replaced by the more traditional
sudra, or otherwise a turban typically wrapped from a modified
keffiyeh. Other communities wear hats similar to the
fez or the more common Bucharian styled . coats are worn by Hasidic lay men during weekdays, and by some on the Sabbath. Some Ashkenazi Jewish men wear a
frock coat during prayer and other specific occasions. It is commonly worn by Hasidic rabbis and Jewish religious leaders in public. The coat is more commonly known as a
frak, a , or a . coats or robes are worn by Hasidic lay men on Sabbath and holidays, both single and married. In some non-Hasidic communities a may be worn either during prayer or at meals as well, on the Sabbath and holidays. Hasidic rabbis will wear a on weekdays as well, with their weekday hats. The worn by certain rabbis may have colors other than black, such as white, silver, gold, or blue, and may also be lined with velvet. The is a white robe worn on certain occasions by married men (and some women) in Ashkenazic and Hasidic communities, such as Yom Kippur and Passover Seder, and may be worn by those leading prayers (and in some communities by all married men) on Rosh Hashanah, Hoshanah Rabbah, and for Tefilas Tal and Tefilas Geshem. A groom will generally wear a during his wedding ceremony as well. In some Sephardic communities, a rabbi or a may wear a similar white robe at weddings and at prayer services. The
gartel is a belt used by some Jewish men during prayer, particularly from Hasidic communities. "Gartel" is Yiddish for "belt." In older traditional Jewish communities, sashes were worn for the same effect, though non-European traditional clothing has fallen out of favor in Israel, and therefore most of these communities. Wearing a thin
red string (as a type of
talisman) is a custom, popularly thought to be associated with
Judaism's
Kabbalah, in order to ward off misfortune brought about by an "
evil eye" ( in Hebrew). In Yiddish, the red string is called a . The red string itself is usually made from thin
red wool thread. It is worn, or tied, as a type of
bracelet or "band" on the left
wrist of the wearer (the receiving side). The connection to traditional Judaism is disputed, and this is mostly worn by secular or non-Jewish spiritualist circles who often misunderstand the origins, or were sold manufactured versions within popular Israeli religious tourist attractions. ==Christianity==