Question
Please accept this as a sincere question from someone who believes he has some Jewish ethnicity but isn't/hasn't practiced the Judaism. I am interested in learning more about the distinction (for lack of a better term) between Jewish ethnicity and Judaism. I apologize in advance if I word some of this in an inappropriate or insensitive way. I am an American male in my mid-70s. The basis of my question arises from some of the shared family history on my mother's side. Her maiden name was Wygold (spelled "Wiegold" a few generations back). My maternal grandfather was named Daniel Wygold, and his father spelled his last name Wiegold. The family history I learned as a child was that my mother's family fled Poland sometime between WW1 and WW2 to escape religious persecution. My religious upbringing, looking back to it now as an adult, seems to have been some rather random blend of customs from Jewish, Catholic and Protestant faiths. For instance, as a child we celebrated Christmas but also always ate kosher when visiting my grandfather, uncles and great uncles. Whatever answers or insights you may be able to offer will be appreciated, with me fully recognizing that it probably will have no real impact in my daily actions at this stage in life. I have always just been a little confused about Judaism as a religion as opposed to Jewish as an ethnicity. Thanks in advance for your thoughts. John

Question
Hi, I am 24 years old living in a heated humid climate in Florida being that I’m in a marriageable age, and have married sisters and a mother whom had covered their hair once they got married I would like to cover my hair so as not to be embarrassed and cause any disappointment as they hold is to be very important as much as I love being Jewish that specific rule and Halacha is very challenging for me being that I had been born highly sensitive and had never like wearing headbands hats or clips on my head I have beautiful long hair and I understand it’s supposed to be shown for my future husband in the privacy of our bedroom and understand the chassidic meaning behind it after learning it. I had visited a few Jewish wig shops and hadn’t been satisfied with the wig I had been given as they required me to use clips or wear a headband so as the wig should not fall off. However earlier today I had encountered a nonjewish wig company whom created very soft and the perfect wig for me which doesn’t have any clips inside the wig cap I had believe it suits me however my mother mentioned to me that she doesn’t recommend I buy it all because the hair is a combination from India and china. She thinks it’s avodah Zara and assur to buy the wig since the hair is from there. I am very frustrated at this point since I feel that if I wouldn’t buy this wig the other wigs from the other Jewish companies would affect me healthwise they cause me bad headaches and make me feel suffocated in the heat! I really need this nonjewish wig otherwise I’m thinking to not cover my hair at all so I would like to clarify and confirm with a rav of it is really a problem for me to buy a wig that the hair is from china and India ?