Kosher Wigs are certified by rabbinical oversight to ensure that they comply with all halachic requirements, especially after controversies in 1990 and 2005 over the use of Indian hair in such wigs. Those incidents involved the question of whether hair shorn during pagan religious ceremonies should be considered unclean, after the age-old stipulation concerning the use of objects associated with idol worship, namely that no good can come from such things. In both cases a full rabbinical inquiry, complete with "on the ground" investigative teams, concluded that nothing was halachically amiss. But the damage had been done by then, as many wigmakers now shun the use of Indian hair due to all the bad publicity created. Instead, much of the Asian hair utilized in manufacturing these wigs come from China, from its westernmost parts where the people are considered to be racially or ethnically closer to Europeans.
Kosher Wigs are made from two chief types of hair, those from Eastern Europe and those from Asia. Asian varieties are often treated for color and texture, while European hair is commonly left alone and thus also known as "virgin" hair. Kosher Wigs can also be made from synthetic fibers, which can rival even highly-prized premium 100% human hair wigs in initial cost and upkeep expenses. For all the effort put into making them and certifying them, many rabbis actually find them insufficiently modest. In fact, almost half of all the observant wives in Israel do not use wigs at all on account of their rabbis, and wear instead snoods, scarves, and other headgear to fully cover their hair.
A married woman's hair is held to be a symbol of her sensuality and even sexuality and not to be shared with anyone but her husband. For those who take such ideas literally, as the fundamentalists and orthodox do, it is understandable how even wigs do not fully provide for compliance.
Of course, Kosher Wigs are not exclusive to observant wives, but can be utilized by even the least religious, such as during times of medical crises like cancer. Undergoing chemotherapy, for example, a woman may feel more comfortable affirming her ethnic heritage by donning such hairpieces. Kosher Wigs are generally more expensive than regular wigs because of the religious oversight necessary to their manufacture, but they make up quite a rather successful cottage industry, and can often be crafted with the most loving workmanship anywhere.
Author Resource:
Written by Paul Wise, who is very bald and Jewish, uses Kosher Wigs and recommends FortuneWigs.com for 100% human hair wigs and other baldness solutions.
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