# Bat Mitzvah questions **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 13, 2015, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bat-mitzvah-questions/737460 "2015-11-13T14:17:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bat-mitzvah-questions/737460/61 "2015-11-19T06:23:11Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Oh, and forgive my ignorance here, is there an easy way of figuring out whether a particular synagogue is Reform or Conservative (or other?) The only thing I’ve seen that clued me in is that in the one or two Conservative temples I’ve been in, there has been a sign by the kippot saying that all men must wear a kippah in the sanctuary. Easiest thing is just to ask someone. Customs obviously vary, so which type won’t tell you what you should do. Easiest thing there is also just to ask someone. If you’re still not sure whether to wear it, wear it. You can’t offend anybody by wearing it, and it’s possible that you might offend by not doing so. I’m not at all religious, but I do like tradition, and I appreciate the gesture. That said, it seems really draconian for a synagogue to _require_ all men to wear one. If a guy really prefers not to wear one, he should still be welcomed. Respect goes in both directions. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bat-mitzvah-questions/737460/62 "2015-11-19T13:09:41Z")
My understanding re men covering their heads in the synagogue and uncovering them in church/indoors is that in the medieval west, uncovering your head was a sign of respect (removing the helmet of your suit of armor to show you were a friend), but in the ancient Middle East, the sign of respect was for men to cover their heads. Someone correct me if I’m off base (I know you will). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bat-mitzvah-questions/737460/63 "2015-11-19T22:11:57Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Easiest thing is just to ask someone. Customs obviously vary, so which type won’t tell you what you should do. Easiest thing there is also just to ask someone. > > If you’re still not sure whether to wear it, wear it. You can’t offend anybody by wearing it, and it’s possible that you might offend by not doing so. > > I’m not at all religious, but I do like tradition, and I appreciate the gesture. That said, it seems really draconian for a synagogue to _require_ all men to wear one. If a guy really prefers not to wear one, he should still be welcomed. Respect goes in both directions. OK, that’s pretty much what I’ve been doing, as mentioned above. I was just wondering if there was any way of knowing otherwise. I personally don’t mind being required to wear a kippah when asked/required to. Other religions have other customs (like taking off shoes when walking in certain areas, and things of that nature) that I follow despite not being religious, but I’m not the sort of person to make waves in these kinds of cultural situations. I figure “their house, their rules.” ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bat-mitzvah-questions/737460/64 "2015-11-19T23:32:04Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I was just wondering if there was any way of knowing otherwise. Just go to their website, it’ll probably be in the first sentence on the home page. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bat-mitzvah-questions/737460.md?page=3)