Did I start The Kippa Test already one week ago? It does certainly not feel that way. It’s as if I just started it yesterday.

For those that did not read last week’s post … let me give you a quick summary of what The Kippa Test is.

Will someone wearing a Kippa feel “good” in Germany – this is what I was asked. So I decided to test it … lets call it a field study. I was wearing the kippa whenever I would come in contact with strangers, with people who don’t know me. On my way to the office and back home, when doing grocery shopping (have been to three different grocery stores this week, plus the bakery). I’ve also been shopping for a “start of school present” for my little nephew. All of that wearing the kippa.

So, what happened during the week.

Not much.

I was not beaten up.
I was not harassed.
I was not called names.

Some people looked at me … and I could see in their faces that they had never seen a kippa before … or that it has been a long time since they saw one. They did not give me “dirty looks”. They just looked curious. That’s about it.

There are however a few things that I want to mention in more detail.

The little boy

I was on my way to work and had just arrived at the train station. When I got off the train, a little boy was tugging his dad’s hand and asking him what this little hat means, that I was wearing on my head. His father started to explain, that I would probably be Jewish and that I was wearing this “hat” because of that.

Unfortunately I was walking too fast, so I could not listen to the rest of the conversation.

The party

On Thursday evening I was invited to a BBQ. Some friends, some colleagues, some strangers. A regular party.

I was wearing the kippa the whole time … with the intention to provoke a discussion. This worked quite well. People asked me why I was wearing a kippa, if I probably had converted to Judaism? So we started talking about “wearing a kippa in Germany” and whether they thought this would be a problem for the wearer.

Opinions differed slightly, but in general everyone agreed that in Germany this wouldn’t be a problem. Nobody would care if you wear a kippa, a hijab, or any other religious symbol. In east Germany (the former GDR) it might be a problem in some places. The number of neo-Nazis there is higher than usual, probably due to the high unemployment rate. However,  on average 0.047% of the Germans are neo-Nazis. In “problem areas” … where the share of neo-Nazis is highest it is still “only” around 0.07%. That’s 0.07% too much … but its a minority.

In some areas its just not safe to walk after dark … whether you are Jewish, German, Turkish, or Martian. You would probably get harassed, beaten up, mugged or worse … but not because you wear a kippa. You will find those places in any big city, everywhere in the world … places where most of the locals wouldn’t even go to.

Back to the topic … people agreed that they had never witnessed someone harassing a Jew or a Muslim for wearing their traditional garments. Period.

The Grandfather

Yesterday evening, I was on my way back home from work. I was waiting at the tram stop, when an old man stopped on the other side of the track and looked at me. He was probably in his 80′s I’d say. So old enough to have witnessed World War II as a young man. He kept looking at me and my kippa. I could see his face changing color. His skin turned red … and his eyes filled with tears.

I did not walk over to him, because I think this was a much too “private” moment. But I knew that he was crying because of looking at me. And my best guess … because of the kippa on my head.

You just don’t see that many kippot in Germany.

So … thinking about the things I have experienced … I would say it is safe to wear a kippa in Germany. I would be quite interested in hearing about first hand experience from German Jews.