The Jewish Burka Comes to Brooklyn

In Israel, as I noted earlier this year, a renegade group of Haredi women has taken to one-upping the already increasingly severe modesty standards of their community by donning Muslim-style burkas. The trend was apparently initiated by a female spiritual leader in the ultra-Orthodox stronghold of Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet. The fashion trend, which has reportedly dismayed husbands and rabbis alike, has spread to other ultra-Orthodox enclaves in Israel.

Now, Hasidic rapper/blogger Y-Love reports they’ve made their way to Brooklyn:

Not too long ago, I had my first abaya-sighting.

For the first time, I saw one of the followers of veil advocate Rabbanit Bruria Keren decked out in hijab sal and abaya…in Boro Park, walking down 13th Avenue with her friend, chatting and schmoozing in frumspeak.

The first thing I thought to myself was, “Oh no, they’re here. They’re here in Boro Park.”

Y-Love also links to a story in last week’s Times of London profiling a pair of Israeli women who have taken to wearing Muslim-style dress.