Here is the original story as appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
April 06, 1998|MICHELLE MALTAIS | TIMES STAFF WRITER
For most of his life, wearing his yarmulke has not been an issue.
Every morning at 7, Baruch Cohen attends temple down the street from his home. Whenever he appears in court or meets with a client, a black yarmulke is atop his head.
For Cohen, wearing the Jewish skullcap is as natural as wearing a shirt. The yarmulke, he said, is a constant reminder that “there’s a God above.”
The 35-year-old Los Angeles bankruptcy lawyer said he is descended from 80 generations of rabbis and is fervent about his religious convictions. But as a student at Southwestern Law School, his resolve was challenged.
In his final year, he was granted a job interview that was “light-years ahead” of his class ranking, Cohen said. “Everyone said: ‘Don’t wear the yarmulke. It will ruin your chances.’ “
After much soul-searching, he consulted with his rabbi and received special dispensation to remove the skullcap.
At the interview, he was greeted by a lawyer with a black velvet yarmulke perched neatly on his head, traditional locks tucked out of sight, whose first question was, “Where is your yarmulke?” Cohen said. “I felt like a betrayer.”
Since then, he has refused to compromise in observing his Jewish traditions.
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