By Devra Ferst
February 25, 2009, (issue of March 06, 2009; The Jewish Daily Forward)
Women of countless faiths and cultures cover their hair for religious reasons. While contemporary society has often tried to assign specific meaning or intention to this act of devotion, these women are rarely asked what significance their head coverings hold for them and why they choose to observe religious laws of modesty. Graduate student and photographer Michele Silver seeks to change this, through her master’s thesis and photojournalism project, “Women and Hair Covering.”
An exhibit of Silver’s work, currently on display at the Rubin-Frankel Gallery at Boston University Hillel, presents 30 photographs of Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Mennonite and Christian women who cover their hair. Slightly more than half the women pictured are Jewish, of various religious strains, reflecting Silver’s initial interest in her own community’s requirement of hair covering. This interest ultimately led her to question why numerous religions around the globe require a similar observance. “Why is hair such a big deal?” Silver asked.
The women, who are pictured primarily alone or in small groups, are captured in their homes, backyards and places of work, and in times of worship. The mundane and private nature of the locations and events convey the beauty, modesty and intimacy of each woman’s decision to cover her hair. Accordingly, the images are displayed with small placards including only the woman’s religion and location, and a brief description of what she is doing.
Silver explains that hair covering for these women is “an expression of their feelings and spirituality.
“There were different reasons why different religions cover their hair, but the feeling of faith, the feeling of modesty, the feeling of belief and of a commitment to God was universal amongst the women,” she said. “It’s not extremism, it’s not fundamentalism. This is their personal expression.” [empahsis mine - LM]
The Rubin-Frankel Gallery at the Florence and Chafetz Hillel House at Boston University, 213 Bay State Road, Boston; through March 13, Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sat., 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.-9 p.m.; free. (617-353-7634, www.bu.edu/hillel/gallery)
4 comments:
The emotions expressed in this article are akin to my own. I am in a different category than most of the women in that I am consecrated under vow in my religious denomination. But the irony is that not only is there no rule about hair covering it is mostly discouraged lest we be mistaken for nuns.And that's fair enough. We vowed to be in the world not of it. There is no real 'need' for the cover. Having the vow puts me in touch with the angels in a special way--I am known to them. So I have been taken off guard by my desire for wearing something on my head. I have gone from coevering my hair completely to a more stylish headband sort of affair and back again. I "feel" the fabric against the back of my neck. It has a presence I cannot describe. The angels don't seem to matter what form the cloth takes whether the whole mess is covered or just some. In fact my heart warns me to be careful not to make of it a talisman which would be a form of whitchcraft or to suppose that I have any more power with the cloth in place than I do when it is not. The cloth is a reminder--to me mostly. It is a shadow of the inner reality.If for some reason I had not one hair on my head it would not alter the fact that I have bound myself to Jesus with the three evangelical vows of poverty chastity and obedience. That I am known to heaven by means of these vows and that Mary is my special protectress with St.Paul my Father and guardian, my teacher and Maestro. So what is desire to wear a cover?of any size? What is it about? Why is there noy more clarity about it and why have so many of us from such divergent backgrounds felt the need /heeded the call? Holy Spirit come upon us as you did the Virgin. Make us bearers of God as she is. Place us under her mantle and protect and bless us.
check this out- http://online.worldmag.com/2009/02/26/princess-hijab-targets-kate-moss/
Thank you for sharing, Miss Mary. I appreciate your perspective of the inner reality that this headcovering is a shadow of. And make us like Mary, who called herself merely the handmaiden of the Lord - I am glad that you are praying for us all.
I saw that article, Lucy - I am not sure whether this lady is not confused on what constitutes modesty/hijab, and what is more than that, nor do I think she's handling her frustrations correctly by defacing public property. Perhaps at least her desire for modesty will be seen and echoed by others in more appropriate ways, though. By calling herself hijabi, she perpetuates the notion that hijab means merely a long headscarf which also covers the face - and she misses out on the meaning of hijab as modest dress and behaviour.
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