![]() ![]() They will stop, not move, and stare straight at me. I’ve gotten the latter online on a daily basis in the last few years, even though I’m not Israeli. I’ve gotten the “angry stare” where the person just looks at me with distaste, because I either killed their God, or again, I’m killing “Palestinian Babies.” However, I’m already “the other,” and in a time where fear and tensions are higher, being the “other” is already dangerous. Probably most are just “curious” and don’t mean anything by it. Wearing a Yarmulke? Of course not, people might know you’re Jewish.įrom the non-Jewish community, it’s the “look.” They stare at me, they look at my Yarmulke, look me up and down. Many of the “Jewish Events” we have in the area are hosted at clubs, bars, and even “gentlemen’s clubs.” Kosher food? Almost Never. Most of the Jews I know are really good at hiding their identity in Vegas, and I’ve tons of experience doing the same Unless I go to shul, or a kosher restaurant or grocery store, it’s likely the entire day I will never see someone with a Yarmulke. ![]() So wearing a Yarmulke in Las Vegas meant that I’m not only a target, I’m a very visible target. I won’t go into details, but they’ve refused to take these crimes seriously, and have not been calling them hate crimes. The response from the local police? Almost nothing. When I was living in Las Vegas, the city that likes to think of itself as a somewhat tolerant city, since it’s the center of entertainment, delightfully “sinful things,” and of course, has a bar owned by Elton John. Study after study shows that when it comes to actual violent hate-crimes, “visible” Jews are MUCH more likely to face violence than Jews who are “invisible.” The reason is obvious: they are identifiable by their clothing. The other reason is simple: I can’t allow other Jews to take the burden of being visibly Jewish. The reasons are both very personal, and much of that has to do with finding myself inside a society that seemingly hates me more and more for who I am. I never stopped being Jewish, and I didn’t actively deny it: My name is Pesach (Passover) and that is almost always a dead giveaway.įast-forward to now: I am wearing a Yarmulke all the time, again for more than a few years. Part of it was during my travels to Europe and the Middle East for Law Enforcement, and part of it was just not caring so much about it. As the years went by, wearing a Yarmulke seemed normal: you put on your Yarmulke, your Talis Katan, got dressed, throw my Borsalino Hat on, and went out in the morning to Daven.įor reasons that I still question, there came a point where I stopped wearing a Yarmulke all the time. ![]()
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