In some synagogues , the president and honorary officers may wear a top hat on Shabbat or the great festivals . The custom of wearing a top hat , or '' tzylinder '' in the Yiddish language , originated in 19th-century England , replacing the wig and tricorn hat . The custom became widespread in Europe until The Holocaust . In some traditional Sephardi synagogues , members of the congregation may also wear top hats on special occasions . The custom is said to have started at the Bevis Marks Synagogue in London on a hot day , when the '' Chazzan '' was preparing for a service and decided that it was too hot to wear his wig , throwing it out of the window in a fit of bad temper . He then found that his tricorn hat was too big , as it had been made to fit over the wig , and so wore his top hat instead
The Holocaust
The Holocaust
Top hat