At the risk of sounding un-hip and therefore unfit for the virtual pages of Jewcy, I want to sincerely thank Jon for this article. In response to the 'discussion' question at the end of the article (right out of a high school English teacher manual!), I do often feel very self-conscious about wearing a kippah. Similiar to Jon, I started wearing one when my son was born, about a year and a half ago. I often perceive the slightest look as anti-Semetic, and don't often realize that the person looking at me is probably Jewish. I live in NYC, and have had a few crazy people yell at me, but come to think of it they yell at everyone regardless of head covering.

I'm a ba'al teshuvah (one who returns to traditional observance) and I don't think the FFBs (frum, or observant, from birth) have any clue what it's like to come into the observant fold later in life. In a word, it's damn hard! I've often walked out of mincha service (mid-day prayers) near my office, and the other guys are oblivious to the fact that everyone is staring at the Jews walking out of synagogue. They just don't see it.

Jon put it perfectly at the end of his article: "I can’t say that I felt a greater spiritual connection to a higher being with my head covered, but I was conscious every minute as I wore the kippah that I was part of something bigger, that I was responsible to a greater community." That's really what it's all about. Above our highest physical place (the head) we put a simple piece of cloth to remind ourselves and everyone who sees us that we have a responsibility to lead lives not just according to our own ideas and values or that of secular society, but to the way of life given to us by G-d in the Torah, a tradition that has been carried on in an unbroken chain since we stood at Mount Sinai. That greater community is itself a large part of our connection to G-d. But you can't expect to have a connection to G-d just by putting a kippah on your head. That has to come with the total engagement of mind, body and soul through Torah and the practice of mitzvot. And it takes a lot longer than two weeks.

Criticism aside, I want to thank Jon for his honesty and the courage to 'out' himself as an undeniable MOT (member of the tribe).