French Rabbi: Wear Baseball Caps in Public

Fear of antisemitism in France has reached the point where the Chief Rabbi of France, Rabbi Joseph Sitruk, has told Jews there that they should consider leaving their skullcaps at home and instead wearing baseball caps while in public - "to prevent being attacked in the street." It is, after, only important that their heads are covered - not what they use to achieve this.

The Haaretz Daily reports:

Rabbi Sitruk's comments came three days after a Jewish school on the outskirts of Paris was the subject of an anti-Semitic arson attack. "I do not want young people traveling alone on trains or the Metro to become easy targets for attackers," he said. "Covering one's head is an important religious dictate, which should not be overlooked. On the contrary, today, more than ever, the Jewish community cannot shut itself off in a ghetto; it should be open, at ease and safe."

Much of the recent violence appears to come from young Muslims in France; they are not, however, the only source of antisemitism there. Sitruk must be very worried about the future of Jews in France to issue such an advisory - off hand, I can't think of anything similar being recommended at any other time, in Europe or in the United States, except perhaps when the Nazis were launching their pogroms against Jews.

Read More:

• Antisemitism
• Islam, Violence, and Terrorism
• Religious Intolerance & Bigotry