Anybody here been kilted in Israel?

[Geoff Withnell]

I am going to Israel next year -presenting a paper at a professional conference. Most of the people are very cosmopolitan, but I wonder about the Orthodox. I know they are very sensitive to what they may perceive as cross-dressing. Does any of the rabble have any kilted experience in Israel, or elsewhere in the Middle East?

Geoff Withnell

[jeremy j starche]

Only trip to Israel was in October of 2001.

I had no problem being kilted anywhere in Jerusalem or the Dead Sea/Masada area, though most of the time that I was kilted I was also dragging around a set of pipes. Got permission to climb on the ruins of Masada and pipe for a few minutes...

Might come as a surprise, but kilts and bagpipes are both known by certain groups of the locals there. Learned how to play the pipes from the Scottish troups who were there in that gap between WW1 and WW2. The Arminians (spelling?) were very welcoming while the orthodox Jews seemed unfazed. American tourists kept coming up and handing me money -- go figure.

Outside Jerusalem and its a whole different world. Tel Aviv seemed to be just another Generic City...

[jordanjm]

While I have never been to Israel, I have an acquaintance from the highland games in Salt Lake City, who is a Convener, and a member of the Israeli military. According to him there is a proper way to wear the Israeli Military uniform with the Kilt.

[cessna152towser]

When I visited Israel in 1988 we were herded around like a bunch of cattle by the tour guides, supposedly for our own safety. We were advised to cover our legs in deference to the culture and I wore long trousers throughout my visit. We visited Haifa, Netanya, Tel Aviv, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Jerusalem was much more touristy than the other places and indeed as soon as the rain came on an umbrella peddler suddenly appeared, offering to sell umbrellas to our group in exchange for payment in British currency. That was twenty years ago, things may have moved on since then.

[BEEDEE]

Geoff - there is a pipe band in Israel! http://www.geocities.com/ilpipbnd/index.html You might want to contact them and see what they say.

Brian