‘Wigs are not taboo anymore; they help women look good and feel beautiful’

NOMI KALTMANN talks to 'sheitel machers' in Melbourne and discovers a service that has burst out of its Orthodox origins into the mainstream

WHEN CHAYI GLICK moved from Brooklyn to Melbourne more than 30 years ago after marrying an Australian, she was unable to find a wig that would reflect her personality and style.

So, when Glick flew back to Brooklyn, she bought herself a new sheitel - the Yiddish term for wig - along with a few wigs for a small number of friends in Australia. When she returned to Melbourne, she set up a spare room in her house to style the wigs, they all sold very quickly, and her business, Wigs by Eva, was born.

“There is a Torah-based requirement for women to cover most of their head once they are married,” says Rabbanit Judith Levitan, a Sydney-based lawyer who has worn a wig for the past 20 years. “In Jewish communities across the world there are different practices as to how women cover their hair; in some communities scarves are common practice, while in others, wigs are more popular.”

To meet the needs of women who cover their hair with sheitels, Jewish communities have developed a niche market for sheitel machers, people, usually women, who sell, style and customise wigs.

In Melbourne, with an estimated 60,000 Jews in its population of five million, sheitel machers have been around for at least 60 years, particularly with the increase of Chabad Hasidic women adopting the practice en-masse following the encouragement and recommendation of their use by the Lubavitcher Rebbe in New York City. Today, there are at least 10 sheitel machers in the city..

 “People think that being religious and covering your hair means that you cannot be stylish,” Glick says, “but, that is simply not true.”

Buying a human hair wig for everyday use can be expensive. Wigs start at around $1000 and can cost more than$5000 if the hair is long or a natural red or blonde colour.