Why Do Jewish People Have Curls? We'll Explain

Table Of Content

• What Sect of Judaism Is Associated With Payots?
• ShopShould you be using argan oil in your hair care routine? Here’s what experts say
• Why Do Jews Have Curly Hair? Exploring the History and Significance of Jewish Curls
• How Do Hasidic Jews Curl Their Sidelocks?
• The Special Case of Hasidic Payot
• Understanding Hasidic Jewish male appearance

This summer we’ve seen the Jheri curl, one of the unlikeliest Black hair trends of the ’80s, make its way back into the zeitgeist—and people are loving it. But this time around, like any modern take on a throwback, it has a twist. Ladies (and gentlemen) are executing this style without chemicals, and on natural coils, kinks and curls. By my mid-20s, however, as a young lawyer, I chopped my hair off, seeking a more grown-up and androgynous look.

What Sect of Judaism Is Associated With Payots?

From kinky textures to beachy waves, there's not a one-product-fits-all formula to care for your locks. In reality, you might need a completely different curly hair routine based on your lifestyle and hair length. Curly hair comes in many shapes, lengths and textures, but identifying your curl pattern can be a bit challenging. The beauty lexicon has a limiting amount of words to identify the different curl types and textures commonly found in human hair.

ShopShould you be using argan oil in your hair care routine? Here’s what experts say

The 1988 comedy Coming to America features Eriq La Salle as Darryl Jenks, heir to the dynasty of a fictional product named "SoulGlo", which gave the wearer a style reminiscent of a Jheri curl while leaving the infamous greasy residue on soft furnishings. Born to an Italian mother who loved to bake, a Jewish father who loved to experiment, and a food chemist grandfather, loving and experimenting with diverse foods is simply in her blood. Her writing and recipes have been featured in Tablet Magazine, JTA News, New Jersey Monthly Magazine, The Jewish Week, Joy of Kosher Magazine, Vinepair, Modern Loss and Buzzfeed. She graduated from Smith College in Northampton, MA with a degree in Comparative Government and Spanish Language and Literature and lives in South Orange, NJ with her husband, daughters and rescue dogs.

Why Do Jews Have Curly Hair? Exploring the History and Significance of Jewish Curls

The reader in Mt. Holyoke is correct in his assumption that onlyMEN are obligated to wear peyot. While the contexts differ, the road to hair self-acceptance contains shared milestones and pain points. While hair straightening is a personal choice, for Jews it often ties into much deeper societal biases. Then there's a Hasidic man with payos which are hanging freely but are not curled. Since they don’t have hair to keep the hat in place, they choose hats made from materials that can grip the skin, like suede.

How Do Hasidic Jews Curl Their Sidelocks?

Other notable wearers of the style in the 1980s and early 1990s include rappers MC Eiht, DJ Quik, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Hi-C, Arabian Prince and B.G. The Jheri curl was worn by Michael Jackson on the cover of his hit album Thriller, which was released in 1982. Jackson also grew out his Jheri curl in 1986, which is shown on the cover of his 1987 album Bad. Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website.

Unlike his older brother Moe, he was not overly interested in learning, although he was athletic and excelled in sports. In many ways, he idolized his oldest brothers Moe and Shemp, and would follow them, watching them perform, hang around backstage, run errands, and so forth. Although a naturally funny person, he didn't himself enter show business until 1928, where he was a comedic conductor for the Orville Knapp Band, performing in a breakaway suit that would fall apart as he conducted the band. Meanwhile, as a Jewish presidential candidate who doesn’t “downplay” her Jewish identity, Sheinbaum must contend with commentators like Fox who assert that being Jewish and Mexican is a logical impossibility. And when Sheinbaum wears traditional Mexican huipiles and briefly dons a Catholic rosary at a campaign event, she is a deemed a “liar.” Every course of action gets her censured.

When Hair Means More Than Just Hair: A Deeper Take on Jewish Curls New Voices - New Voices

When Hair Means More Than Just Hair: A Deeper Take on Jewish Curls New Voices.

Posted: Tue, 20 Dec 2022 08:00:00 GMT [source]

For example, I never feared being suspended from school or losing a job because of my hair texture. Nonetheless, when I was young, I spent so much time, energy, and money to conform — and then, when I chose not to, I felt like I needed to explain my decision to keep my hair in its natural state. But the natural hair movement — which has been bolstered considerably in recent years, on platforms like YouTube and Instagram —  has helped empower me to celebrate my curly texture again. Now, people sometime mistakenly think that only Hasidic Jews wear payes. This they do visibly, in a variety of styles, including straight, curled and behind the ear.

Understanding Hasidic Jewish male appearance

As we mentioned before, Jewish tradition does not allow them to shave. Even though the rules regarding hair are somewhat strict, some allowances are made. Jewish men were encouraged to follow strict gender norms and avoid traditionally feminine practices. Another theory behind the ban is that razors and shaving were considered pagan practices. There are a few different theories on why razors and shaving are discouraged in Jewish tradition. One view is that shaving your hair was thought of as feminine behavior.

I’ve even considered altering the color of my hair and shaving it off completely. We must embrace individuals sporting naturally curly hair or kippot or payot as acceptably groomed and professional — and the full range of Jewish ethnic, racial and denominational diversity as just that, Jewish. As we worked on the policy document, friends and colleagues shared personal stories about being forced to straighten or chemically alter their natural hair to appear more “professional” —  an experience all too common among Black women. And hair discrimination is not limited to the workplace; heartbreaking stories were cropping up in schools, too. Students were being told they can’t participate in school sports, go to prom, walk in graduation, or even start the school year with their peers because of their hair.

I didn’t do it for my husband, or the judgmental mom who lives down the block. I can blow dry my hair in 10 minutes and it stays completely frizz-free. I do need to wash it more often than before; it definitely gets oilier faster than I am used to. But I no longer have to allot 45 minutes to blowing out my thick mane only, for it to expand into Krusty the Clown heights minutes later.

From intricate hair care routines to the simplicity and delight of embracing natural curls, Curl Centric is a beacon for the curly hair community, offering resources for hair growth, care, styling, and support. Curly hair is not a universal trait of Jewish heritage or culture. Many Jewish people have curly or wavy hair because of their middle eastern ancestry, but hairstyle or type does not dictate ethnicity or religious beliefs. This specialized set from Verelle comes with a shampoo, conditioner and all-in-one cream for taming frizz and styling curls.

This is particularly true when the woman is in the presence of unrelated or distantly related men. Although many women wear headscarves or hats, some cover their natural strands with wigs. Curly hair is a genetically inherited trait unrelated to ethnicity, culture, or faith. Because the quality of being Jewish gets often defined by culture and ancestry rather than simple religious practice, Jewish people tend to share more physical traits than followers of other faiths that are less ethnically and culturally defined. The more curved a person’s hair follicle, or the more asymmetrical the production of hair proteins, the more curly a person’s hair is. Most people with curly hair have a combination of an irregularly shaped hair follicle and asymmetrical hair protein production.

So, yes, it’s common, but you may also see people apparently acting otherwise. So while curly hair remains controversial, ultimately it represents the richness of the Jewish people worldwide in all our variety. So while curly hair can be a source of celebration, for many Jews it is also freighted with difficult history. Kenneth Byrd, with a BS in Accounting and Management Information Systems and an MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has over 15 years of experience and is a recognized authority in hair care.