Rabbi's Message

Rabbi Elyse Wechterman
Read about the Rabbi
July/August 2005

Flip-Flop Nation

As I rapidly approach my 38th birthday (July 24) I am finding myself becoming more and more of a curmudgeon. I am just not comfortable with contemporary styles and modes of dress. It’s not that I long for the days of three-piece suits and dresses. I personally avoid wearing nylon stockings as much as possible and love that fact that for the most part, my job allows me to dress moderately and comfortably. And I like hanging out at home in a t-shirt and jeans as much as the next gal.

But I just don’t get the ubiquitous appearance of beach shoes in the unlikeliest of places. I see flip-flops at the grocery store; at the doctor’s office; in restaurants and at synagogue on Shabbat. I see flip-flops that appear to be the dollar store variety as well as others that are decorated and done up and probably cost as much as a pair of loafers. I see them on men and women, teens and adults. I have even seen some children attempt to play ball in flip-flops (a rather amusing sight I must say!) Shoes that were once relegated to the beach club shower house are now everywhere.

So what’s the big deal, you might ask? Why shouldn’t people be comfortable and casual in all those places?

Comfortable – yes. But casual…..?

Here’s the problem. I think that flip-flops, shorts, tank tops, etc. are fine for the beach and backyard, and maybe even the grocery store. But once our beachwear becomes our work-wear, our dress-wear and even our synagogue-wear, we end up dressed the same no matter where we are. What are we communicating when we do this?

Our clothing choices send a message. When we dress the same for work, play and worship we are sending a very loud message that we value those places equally. To me, the message I see when individuals show up at services in flip flops is that this place, this sacred building that houses our Torah, our classrooms, the heart of our community, is not so special, not so different from the beach and playground. And that makes me sad.

Judaism holds that all places are not equal and that there are important distinctions between the holy and secular spaces of our lives. Generally speaking, most of us do not believe that we should act in the same manner at our places of business as we do around our kitchen tables. And personally, I do not believe that my mannerisms at Monday evening board meetings should be the same ones I use leading services on Shabbat. The clothing we wear, the outward representations of our inner attitudes, should reflect those distinctions. Our clothing – our uniform for different aspects of our lives provides subtle clues to others and ourselves about behavioral expectations and norms. In fact, many of us notice that our own behavior changes when our clothing changes.

The Torah clearly understands the importance of dress for appropriate roles and moments. The instructions for crafting the garments of the priest are painstakingly and carefully detailed. Why? Because the authors of the Torah understood that the priest is nothing but an ordinary man with no particular power or special-ness of station. But dressed in the breastplate and mantle of the High Priest, this ordinary man was transformed into a powerful symbol for the community, a vehicle for communicating the deepest needs and longings of the people to none other than God.

The way we dress sends powerful messages.

I would not look to the high priest as a model for synagogue attire. For one thing, that outfit is too heavy and hot for Attleboro! But I do think the intention to make moments and places special, to respect the distinction between the ordinary and the holy spaces and times of our lives, is more than appropriate – and may even be necessary. We can’t do or say much about what is appropriate work attire for most members of this community. But we can make the sense of holiness many of us feel in the sanctuary more palpable, more present when we come to synagogue in special clothes for Shabbat. Do they need to be fancy? No. But they do need to be something other than what you would wear to the beach.

B’Shalom
Rabbi Elyse

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