Jewish symbols
Symbols of Judaism in worship, the home and the calendar.
Many of these symbols have their place in the synagogue, the home or the calendar. The two tablets of the law usually stand over the ark in the synagogue. The Hanukkiah, with room for nine lights, is kindled at home, since the Talmud calls the mitzvah of Hanukkah "a lamp for a person and their home". The Shofar is heard in the Rosh Hashanah morning services. One of the oldest is the Menorah, the seven-branched lampstand of the Temple, which the State of Israel chose as its emblem.
Emblems
- Star of DavidA six-pointed star made of two triangles, the Magen David (“shield of David”), and the symbol most commonly linked with Judaism today.
- MenorahThe seven-branched lampstand of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, one of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith.
- ChaiA Hebrew word usually translated as “life”, written with the letters chet and yud, worn on pendants; its letters add up to 18.
- HamsaAn open hand, often with an eye in the palm, that Jews wear and hang in their homes as an amulet against the evil eye, an amulet they share with Muslims in North Africa and the Middle East.
Ritual objects
- HanukkiahThe nine-branched lamp lit at Hanukkah: eight lights, one for each night of the festival, and a ninth, the shamash, that lights the others.
- Tablets of the CovenantTwo tablets side by side for the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, usually placed above the ark in a synagogue.
- ShofarA ram’s horn blown like a trumpet in Jewish worship, above all on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
The late rise of the Star of David
The six-pointed star is the best-known Jewish symbol today, but its Jewish meaning is comparatively recent. Gershom Scholem found it on ancient Jewish lamps and seals without any special significance, and the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia noted that the shield of David is not mentioned in rabbinical literature. My Jewish Learning adds that claims tracing it to medieval Jewish communities are neither fully substantiated nor widely accepted. In the nineteenth century, Scholem writes, Jews looked for a simple sign that would stand for Judaism as the cross stands for Christianity; almost every synagogue came to bear the star, and the Zionist movement took it from there. The Star of David page gives the whole history.
Chai and the hamsa
Two popular symbols are newer as emblems than they look. Chai pendants probably appeared only half a century or so ago, according to the Forward's columnist Philologos. The Hamsa, an open hand, carries significance to both Jews and Muslims, and My Jewish Learning calls it today a Jewish and Israeli symbol, as common in Israel as the Star of David. The Encyclopaedia Judaica records that the open palm and blue paint are still widespread in Mizrahi communities.
Sources
- Tablets of the Law, Encyclopaedia Judaica, Gale, via Encyclopedia.com, entry
- The Menorah Comes Home, A Year of Zohar, My Jewish Learning and Sefaria, essay
- The Hanukkiah (Hanukkah Menorah), My Jewish Learning, article
- Rosh HaShanah: The Shofar, Jewish Virtual Library (American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise), article
- Ancient Jewish History: The Menorah, Jewish Virtual Library (American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise), article
- Magen David, Encyclopaedia Judaica (Gershom Scholem), Encyclopaedia Judaica, via the Jewish Virtual Library (American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise), entry
- What is the Star of David?, My Jewish Learning, article
- Magen Dawid, Vol. 8, 1904–06, The Jewish Encyclopedia (1906), Joseph Jacobs and Ludwig Blau
- Exploring 'Chai' Culture, Philologos, 11 November 2012, The Forward (Philologos column; archived copy, Internet Archive)
- What Is A Hamsa?, My Jewish Learning, article
- Evil Eye, Encyclopaedia Judaica, via the Jewish Virtual Library (American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise)
Last reviewed September 25, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research