The Jewfro Grows Up And Out

The Jewfro Grows Up And Out

Moment Magazine whose published mission statement is covering "Independent Journalism From A Jewish Perspective" is famous for many things.  Moment Magazine covers Jewish politics, culture and religion in a print and digital magazine, online and through national events.

One of the many things they are known for is sponsoring a past contest titled The Jewfro Grows Up And Out. Moment's contest highlighted the naturally textured Jewish hairstyle which is often compared to the Afro hairstyle known as the natural or fro.

Definition Of Jewfro

A Jewfro (combination of the words Jew and afro) or Isro or Isfro (combination of  Israel and afro) refers to a naturally textured or very tightly curled hairstyle worn by people usually of Ashkenazi Jewish descent.  Ashkenazi Jewish may have very tightly curled hair.

Similar hairstyles worn by non-Jewish people are usually considered, with humor, to be Jewfros. Its name is inspired by the afro hairstyle, which it resembles.

Definition Of A Fro

The Afro hairstyle, sometimes shortened to 'fro and also known as a "natural", is a hairstyle worn naturally by people with lengthy kinky hair texture or specifically styled in such a fashion by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair.

The hairstyle is created by combing the hair away from the scalp, allowing the hair to extend out from the head in a large, rounded shape, much like a halo, cloud or ball.

Roots Of The Jewfro

The term has its roots in the 1960s and 1970s when many prominent figures were described as sporting the hairstyle.

The Los Angeles Times called college football star Scott Marcus a flower child with "golden brown hair...in ringlets around his head in what he calls a Jewish afro style".

The Jewish Afro

In a 1971 article on Harvard University's "hairy" basketball team, the New York Times wrote that Captain Brian Newmark "hasn’t had a haircut since last May and his friends have suggested his hairdo is a first cousin to the Afro...in the case of the Jewish Junior from Brooklyn, though, the bushy dark hair that is piled high on his head has been called an Isro."

Novelist Judith Rossner was described in a Chicago Tribune profile as the "grown-up Wunderkind with an open, oval face framed by a Jewish Afro."

Seth Rogen's Jewfro In Knocked Up

Fun loving party animal Ben Stone, played by Seth Rogen, in 2007's Knocked Up is a classic example of the Jewfro.

In one scene Alison Scott played by Katherine Heigl runs her fingers through Ben's thick mop of super curly ringlets which are a classic example of a Jewish Fro or a Jewfro.

Scott asks Stone if he uses product in his curls and he replies "No I use Jew it's called" referring to his Jewish inspired texture.

Contest To Find The Frizziest Of The Frizzy

In February of 2011 Moment published a link to The Jewfro Grows Up And Out under their Jewish Word column.  Since that first contest in 2011, Moment has continued to hold Jewfro contests.

Moment's Jewfro contest was designed to find those people whose Jewfro could easily compete with the frizziest of the frizzy.  Moment implored Jewfro wearers to post their photos for a chance to win an exclusive Moment Magazine Jewfro Care Package which includes being featured on a Moment Cover.

Famous Jewfro Wearers

Representative Anthony Weiner (D-NY) who is much more famous for his misbehavior on Social Media than his hair, used to wear a full Jewfro in years past.   Now he wears it short and neat.

Superstar Barbra Streisand's hair has been referred to as Jewfro natural for some of her movie roles including A Star Is Born and The Way We Were.

Actor  Simon Helberg who plays Howard Wolowitz has been spotted with a Jewfro on the show in a few episodes (see image above).

His character Howard often refers to his Jewish heritage although not making specific reference to his hair forming naturally into a Jewfro.

Bob Dylan born Robert Allen Zimmerman has worn the Jewfro earlier in his career.

 Summary - The Jewfro Grows Up And Out

Although the Jewfro is alive and well in current times, the natural hairstyle may not always be obvious depending upon how the wearer  decides to wear their hair.

People with natural Jewfro texture may wear it very short to keep the curls at bay.  Or they may use a variety of chemical solutions to relax the curls.

One thing is certain.  As a Jewfro grows out, if it's styled properly, it will form a wonderfully majestic cloud of curls.

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