Heat Wave
FreiFem2011Shulem Deen has a terrific piece in the New York Daily News, about the burden of religious garb in the summer – but he just talks about the heavy fur hats and wool tzitzis – what about the ladies? What about those shaitlach and high collared tops and long sleeves and thick stockings? I’d take a sweater set over a fur hat any day, but still, religious women suffer too.
Although, I do remember when I was a teenager, having a conversation with a goy on a bus, about how I could bear wearing such restrictive clothing in an August heat wave.
“It’s just a matter of expectations,” I explained. “Even when it’s very hot, I would guess you don’t spend all day wishing you were naked – you know you have to wear a certain amount of clothes. I just accept this is what I have to wear. It’s hot, but not unbearable.”
Hah! Past me, even future you doesn’t have those societal restrictions you imagined goyim lived by! I spent this recent heat wave naked (albeit indoors), most of the time!
But what do you remember of bearing the heat as a religious person – did you accept it? Resent it? Suffer terribly?
6 Responses
It can be pretty uncomfortable, but never reached unbearable (however, I would lose the rekkel even in my frummest years). It seems to me that this is always the case — We humans can tolerate almost anything that we decide to, regardless of the suffering involved (and sometimes we can get addicted to suffering, but that’s another story).
Personally, while I don’t like layers altogether (even in the winter),I remember being in Atlanta one summer back in the 1980’s — the heat seemed to be beyond sweltering, and it struck me that everyone had sweat pouring off of their bodies regardless of the number of layers they had on. Just imagine what it was like in Victorian-era clothing (a corset and all those petticoats couldn’t have been a joy in that pre-air-conditioning castle :-)!
During that heat wave couple weeks ago I passed a bunch of frum kids playing. The shortstop was in full levush, woolen tsitses flying. In my opinion, inhumane.
Then again, remember many societies throughout history have had this kinda thing. Less then a century ago in America gentlemen and woman could not leave home without donning hat and gloves. A woman who flashed her ankle dismounting from a carriage, that was tantamount to streaking naked by today’s standards.
Its interesting the clothes i.e. tzitzis, long black pants , a hat, and jacket never really bothered me (metzad the heat). I was socialized to look down upon shorts, to the point where I couldn’t imagine myself wearing them . I never really felt any resentment at having to wear “the levush” even in the summer. Also coming from my lubavitch background the levush is considerably less then many other chassidim.
I always thought that the hat was the worst part. I always sweated where the band was and it felt really uncomfortable.
Obviously I think wearing all those clothes is silly, and unnecessary. But having worn them for years, it gave me a distinct advantage once I joined the Army, were I’ve spent countless days in 130 degree weather, wearing full battle rattle…
I have been uncomfortable wearing frummie clothes for many years now. It took me a long time to decide to cut corners a little, by wearing short sleeves in the summer, and no stockings or socks, just open sandals. I even substituted a hat for the shaitel. It has helped my comfort level somewhat. But I am sure that being able to wear a tank top or t-shirt and shorts and sandals would be even better. The older that I get, the more that I hate wearing all this extra stuff. Someone once told me that it doesn’t matter what you wear, if it’s hot, then it’s hot. Well, she couldn’t be more wrong about that!!!