Further adventures in Bekeshes and Reklach

Today we attended the funeral of a beloved friend. My husband had suggested that on the way home we would check out the Bekeshes ( long Chassidic coats) and Rekeshes ( long suit jackets) that were at Housing Works- the thrift store.

For those sharp eyed among you, yesterday I wrote the name of the garment at Beketches as it was on the website of the manufacturer.I was more familiar with the term Bekeshe and apparently that is correct as well, so i return to the more familiar pronunciation.

On our walk uptown we saw two young Chabad guys at a table in front of the subway stop encouraging women to light Shabbat candles and men to put on t'fillin.

My husband and I entered the thrift and he began trying on the coats.

He admired the fabric and the workmanship and we were both a bit freaked out at how the garment transformed my husband.

Some of the coats had frock coat like details.

I suspect that if the coats cost $10.00 my husband might have thought about purchasing one for Purim. But while $45 was a bargain for these custom made finely made coats it was too much to pay for a joke.

I did think that the Chabad young men would be interested in the coats. So after my husband and i left the thrift store I returned to the subway station and told the young men that the thrift store had about a dozen Rekeshes and Bekeshes from Fino selling for $45 and they should go into the store once they were done convincing Upper West Siders to light Shabbat candles.

They asked me if I would be lighting candles tonight. I told them that i had already baked my challah and would light candles but would not be laying t'fillin. They said that they would stop into the store and perhaps they would be wearing extra fancy duds as their own mothers lit Shabbat candles.

Shabbat shalom!

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