Shimmering Symbols: Shopping for Jewish-themed Jewelry

Jewish-themed jewelry offers a range of captivating symbols that reflect our rich cultural and spiritual heritage. The Star of David, a six-pointed star, is one of the most recognized Jewish symbols and is commonly featured in necklaces, earrings, and rings. Hamsa hand bracelets, with their hand-shaped design symbolizing protection against the evil eye, are another popular choice. Additionally, Chai pendants, representing the Hebrew word for life, beautifully convey the celebration of life and vitality. These timeless pieces not only add an elegant touch to your outfit but also serve as a reminder of the significance and meaning behind our Jewish traditions.

Embrace the Modern: Contemporary Jewish-inspired Designs

Who says tradition can’t be trendy? In today’s fashion-forward world, contemporary Jewish-inspired jewelry designs are gaining popularity. Modern interpretations infuse Jewish motifs with a fresh, stylish twist. From sleek minimalist pendants featuring abstract representations of Jewish symbols to geometric-inspired earrings with clean lines, these designs offer a modern aesthetic. Embrace the contemporary look and let your jewelry become a conversation starter at your festive gatherings. Showcasing your cultural pride has never been so chic!

Mix and Match: Layering and Stacking

Want to take your jewelry game to the next level? Try layering and stacking your Jewish jewelry pieces. Experiment with different lengths and styles to create a captivating layered necklace look. Combine delicate necklaces with different Jewish symbols, such as a Star of David pendant with a Hamsa hand charm or a Chai necklace. Stack bracelets of varying textures and styles to add depth and visual interest to your wrist. Mix and match earrings to create a unique and personalized look. This fashion-forward approach allows you to showcase your individual style and connection to Jewish culture, creating a truly memorable ensemble.

Dazzle with Diamonds: Elevating Elegance

For those seeking a touch of glamour, why not indulge in Jewish-themed jewelry adorned with diamonds? Diamonds are not only a girl’s best friend but also add a dazzling sparkle to your Rosh Hashanah celebrations. Whether it’s a Star of David pendant embellished with radiant diamonds or a diamond-studded Hamsa hand ring, these luxurious pieces bring an extra level of elegance to your ensemble. Let the brilliance of diamonds reflect your inner light as you gather with loved ones to commemorate these special occasions.

Haute Handcrafted: Supporting Israeli Artisans

When shopping for Jewish-themed jewelry, consider supporting local artisans and independent designers. Handcrafted pieces offer a unique and authentic touch, often showcasing the talent and creativity of skilled craftsmen. These artisanal creations go beyond mass-produced jewelry, infusing each piece with an essence of artistry and dedication. Support Israeli artists. By choosing handmade jewelry, you not only adorn yourself with a stunning accessory but also contribute to the preservation of traditional craftsmanship and support the arts. Wear your jewelry with pride, knowing that you are supporting the talent and passion of skilled artisans.

Personalized Perfection: Customizable Jewish Jewelry

Make your High Holiday celebrations truly unforgettable with personalized Jewish-themed jewelry. Customizable options allow you to add initials, names, or meaningful dates to your jewelry, creating a one-of-a-kind piece that resonates with your personal story. Whether it’s a pendant engraved with your Hebrew name or a bracelet with your family’s initials, this personalized touch adds an extra layer of sentiment and makes your jewelry a cherished keepsake for years to come. The personalization of your jewelry not only enhances its beauty but also connects you to your heritage and creates a sense of belonging.

Beyond Traditional Metals: Exploring Material Diversity

When it comes to Jewish-themed jewelry, the materials used extend beyond traditional metals. Explore the diversity of materials available, including precious metals like gold and sterling silver, as well as alternative materials like leather, wood, and colorful gemstones. Incorporating unique textures and vibrant hues into your jewelry can add a contemporary and artistic touch to your High Holiday ensemble. Consider a leather bracelet with a Hebrew inscription, or a gemstone-encrusted Chai necklace to infuse your jewelry with personality and flair.

Incorporating Jewish-themed jewelry into your High Holiday celebrations adds a touch of sparkle and spirit to your ensemble. From shimmering symbols to contemporary designs, there are countless options to choose from. Embrace your heritage with style and flair, mixing, matching, and personalizing to create a look that is uniquely yours. Let your jewelry shine bright as you gather with loved ones to honor tradition, celebrate the spirit of the High Holidays, and create lasting memories. With Jewish jewelry, you can express your cultural pride and add a touch of glamour to your High Holiday festivities. So, go ahead, sparkle with spirit, and let your jewelry make a statement that reflects your inner light.

Read on to learn all the action-packed details of the history behind our beloved holidays.

Sukkot

Quickly following Yom Kippur is the holiday of Sukkot. In the Jewish Bible, Sukkot is always referred to as “the time of our happiness.” This begs the question, why is Sukkot a happier time than any other Jewish holiday? The answer is simple but very deep. The joy of Sukkot comes from the lightness we feel after being forgiven and cleansed of all our wrongdoings. We’ve been judged (Rosh Hashanah), we’ve been forgiven (Yom Kippur), and now there is nothing but unburdened joy! To celebrate Sukkot we move into palm frond covered huts outside our homes for a week. This is to symbolize our trust in G-d and to commemorate His protection over us for the forty years the Jewish people wandered in the desert. We also shake a lulav (palm frond) and etrog (citron) every morning while reciting blessings and praises of G-d.

Pesach (Passover)

Perhaps the most significant holiday of the year, Pesach is a celebration of our freedom. It commemorates when G-d took us out of slavery in Egypt and brought us to Israel. It is said that the miracles performed by G-d on our behalf during this time were greater than any in history. The exodus from Egypt is a cornerstone of our faith, showing G-d’s invested interest in our personal actions and well-being. Pesach is celebrated for eight days, the first two of which long feasts (called a Seder) are held at night. It is customary to eat matzah (unleavened bread) and drink four cups of wine at the Seder and to refrain from any leavened bread for the entirety of the holiday.

Shavuot

A holiday that occurs exactly 50 days after Pesach, Shavuot commemorates G-d giving us the Torah on Mount Sinai. It’s a day similar to Shabbat, when people spend time with their families and eat good food and wine. It is also customary for men to stay up the entire night of Shavuot learning Torah.

Tisha B’Av

The saddest day of the Jewish calendar, Tisha B’Av is the day both Holy Temples were destroyed and the Jewish people were cast into exile. It is a fast day which has become a catchall for every tragic event in our history. It is customary to sit on the floor and read the book of Lamentations, and to refrain from joyous or pleasurable activities. It is also a day to yearn and pray for salvation and the rebuilding of the Third Holy Temple, speedily in our days.

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is also known as the Jewish New Year. (Like the Chinese New Year, but less dragons). One of the High Holidays, it is a day of re-coronation of G-d as our King, as well as a day of judgment over our actions of the previous year. While serious, it is also a very festive day with delicious food, shofar blowing, and the traditional fruits: pomegranates, dates, and apples dipped in honey.

Yom Kippur

The second High Holiday, Yom Kippur follows ten days after Rosh Hashanah and is the annual Day of Atonement. It is traditional to fast from sundown to sundown and spend the entire day in synagogue. While Rosh Hashanah is a day of judgment, Yom Kippur is a day of mercy, when we are forgiven for our sins.

Simchat Torah

The last day of Sukkot is really a different holiday called Simchat Torah. Every Shabbat morning in synagogue, a portion of the Bible is read and on Simchat Torah we finish the last section and start over again. To celebrate our excitement for Torah, we dance all night and morning holding the Torah and giving out candies and treats.

Hanukkah

The story of Hanukkah took place in the 2nd century B.C.E. when the Syrian-Greek Empire tried to destroy the Jewish faith and desecrate the Holy Temple. The Maccabees, a small army of righteous Jews led by Judah Maccabi, waged war against their Syrian-Greek oppressors. Although hugely outnumbered, miraculously they emerged victorious and reclaimed Israel from Syrian-Greek control. After winning the war, the Maccabees immediately went to rededicate the Temple and light the holy Menorah. They only had enough pure oil to burn for one day, but a miracle occurred and the oil burned for eight days, a sign of G-d’s returned protection over Israel. Hanukkah was then instituted as a national Jewish holiday when we light a menorah every night for eight nights to commemorate the miracle. It is also traditional to eat food fried in oil, such as doughnuts and latkes (potato pancakes). Yum!

Purim

A fun, festive holiday! Purim commemorates a story that took place in Persia in the 4th century B.C.E. A man named Haman, who was an advisor to the king, plotted to kill all the Jews. The date for this mass execution was picked and approved by the king and letters were sent out throughout the kingdom. It seemed the fate of the Jewish people was sealed. However, prior to this, Esther had been crowned queen of Persia who, unbeknownst to the king, was actually a Jew. Together with her uncle, the great sage Mordechai, she managed to overthrow Haman’s plans and have him executed instead. The day that had been chosen for the Jews’ extinction instead became a day of victory for the Jewish people, and the day afterwards celebrations ensued. Today we celebrate this miracle by dressing in costume, giving out gifts and treats, and eating a festive meal.

Jewish Jewelry Symbols Explained

Ani Ledodi

A phrase found throughout our site, this verse is taken from the ancient book Song of Songs, written by King Solomon in circa 951 BCE. Its translation is most commonly accepted as “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.” While this beautiful quote is perfect for any love relationship, its intention was to refer to the everlasting love between G-d and the Jewish people. Read More.

Dreidel

A Yiddish word, dreidel is a spinning top played with during the holiday of Hanukkah. (Hebrew: Sevivon). The dreidel has four sides, each with a Hebrew letter—Nun, Gimmel, Hei, and Shin. These letters are an acronym for “Nais Gadol Haya Shum”—”A great miracle happened there.” In Israel however, the final letter is changed to a Peh, making the sentence “A great miracle happened here!”

Evil Eye

In Hebrew “Ayin Hara,” the evil eye refers to the jealousy and ill-wishes of others in the face of your success. It is common practice in some Jewish circles to quickly say “Bli ayin hara”—meaning, without the evil eye— after giving a compliment or sharing how many children you have. Evil eye jewelry, while called by that name, really refers to the “Good Eye” (in Hebrew, Ayin Tov), which is worn as an amulet to ward off the powers of other peoples’ jealousy.

Chai

In Hebrew chai (or, hai) means life. Judaism values human life above and beyond all things, and encourages us to live good and full lives. The word chai consists of two letters—Chet and Yud. Together, the numerical value adds up to 18, which itself is a meaningful number within Judaism. It’s also common, when giving a monetary gift, to give in multiples of 18—always referred to as Chai.

Hamsa

The Hamsa is a symbol seen throughout Middle Eastern cultures. It’s shaped like a symmetrical hand, and in Judaism often symbolizes the hand of Miriam. As the tradition goes, Moses was sent down the Nile River in a basket when he was a baby and Miriam, his sister, followed to ensure his safety. She sent forth her hand, so to speak, to protect him. Therefore the Hand of Miriam—the Hamsa—is an icon of protection for all time.

Hanukkah Menorah (Hanukkiah)

A Hanukkiah, as opposed to a general Menorah (see below), is used specifically for the holiday of Hanukkah. It has eight equal branches, one for each night of Hanukkah, with a ninth branch at a different height from the rest. We light it each year to commemorate the miracle that a tiny vessel of oil burned for eight days during the re dedication of the Holy Temple.

Hoshen

Also known as the Choshen Mishpat, the English translation being The Breastplate of Judgment. This was a breastplate worn by the High Priest in the times of the Holy Temple, which was set with twelve precious and semi-precious stones. Each stone possessed a different unique color and represented one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. It is said that whenever a critical decision needed to be made, the stones would light up in a cryptic pattern which only the High Priest could decipher, revealing G-d’s will.

Jerusalem

In Hebrew “Yerushalayim,” Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Israel. Situated right in the center of the land, Jerusalem was chosen to house both Holy Temples where the entire Jewish nation came to on pilgrimage three times a year. In ancient times it was the center of Jewish life, and till today holds immense meaning for the Jewish people. Ever since we were exiled from the land, poets and scholars have poignantly lamented the loss of the Jewish capital and the Holy Temple.

Kabbalah

The literal translation of the word Kabbalah is “that which is received.” It refers to a section of Jewish wisdom which was received together with the Torah, but remained shrouded in mystery. The main book of Kabbalah is the Zohar, written by R’ Shimon Bar Yochai in the 2nd century. It expounds on esoteric concepts such as the structure of the heavens, and supernatural beings and powers. Learn more in our blog post Kabbalistic Themes.

Kiddush

Meaning “sanctification” or “holiness,” Kiddush is a specific passage said over a cup of wine (or grape juice) to sanctify the Sabbath and Jewish holidays. Most families will purchase a special silver goblet for this purpose, called a Kiddush cup.

Kotel

HaKotel Ma’aravi, the Western Wall. This is the last remaining wall that surrounded the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. It was prophesied to never be destroyed and today it still stands, over 2000 years old, despite numerous attempts for its destruction. It is the closest accessible spot we have to the Holy of Holies, the direct line to Heaven. For thousands of years Jews and Gentiles from all over the world have come to weep and pray at this holiest of sites, and leave notes to G-d in its cracks. (To learn more about this meaningful topic, see https://www.aish.com/h/9av/j/48961906.html )

Lion of Judah

In the book of Genesis, Jacob blesses each of his twelve sons while on his deathbed. The blessing he gives his son Judah (Yehuda) is that he will be like a lion and the scepter will never leave him (49:9-10). The kingship of Israel was thus destined to remain within the tribe of Judah, symbolized by a lion. When the kingdom of Israel split sometime around the 10th century BCE, only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained in the Jerusalem area, causing this area to become known as Judah and its people to be known as Jews. In 1949, a year after the creation of the modern State of Israel, the lion was chosen to once again be the symbol of Jerusalem. It can be seen throughout the city on its well-known coat of arms.

Menorah

While also used in Modern Hebrew as a generic term for “lamp,” the Menorah mainly refers to the giant seven-branched lampstand used in the Holy Temple. An integral part of the daily service, the Menorah would be lit daily using only the purest of olive oils. In the Hanukkah story, the first thing the Maccabees did after winning the war and reclaiming the Temple, was search for pure oil to light the holy Menorah. It has become a primary symbol of Judaism, and is used as an emblem on the coat of arms of the State of Israel.

Mezuzah

Literally “doorpost,” a mezuzah refers to an object hung on the doorposts of Jewish homes. Although a common misconception, the mezuzah does not actually refer to the case, but rather to the parchment scroll inside. On that scroll is written the holy Shema in which G-d commanded us to “write [these words] upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.” In order to beautify this commandment, many people will purchase beautiful cases for their mezuzah scrolls; so much so that the case itself has become somewhat of a symbol of Judaism.

Pomegranate

In Hebrew “rimon,” the pomegranate plays a special role in Jewish custom and tradition. It is one of the seven species of Israel as listed in the Bible, and of all the fruits contains the most symbolism. For one, Jews are compared to pomegranates—the Talmud says “even the empty ones are full of mitzvot (good deeds) like a pomegranate is full of seeds.” It is also the fruit which inspired King Solomon who mentions it allegorically many times in Song of Songs, as well as letting the shape inspire the design for his crown. Perhaps the pomegranate’s most common place, however, is as the new fruit eaten on Rosh Hashanah.

Priestly Blessing

In Hebrew, “Birkat Kohanim.” The kohanim, the sons of Aaron the High Priest, were sanctified by G-d to bless the Jewish people using the following blessing: “May G-d bless you and protect you. May G-d deal kindly and graciously with you. May G-d bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace.” This was recited daily in the times of the Holy Temple, and today it is still recited by the kohanim in most synagogues.

Shabbat

Shabbat, or Sabbath, is the Jewish day of rest. Just as G-d created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, so too He commanded us to rest on the seventh day—Saturday. Shabbat begins at sundown on Friday and it is traditionally brought in by lighting the Shabbat candles. Sterling silver candlesticks have become the traditional standard for Shabbat, beautifying the home and bringing in the warmth and specialness of Shabbat. It is a time to eat good food, spend time with family, sing and pray; and especially to take a well-deserved break from the stress of the week.

Shema Yisrael

Hear O Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One. This most fundamental declaration of G-d’s Oneness is said three times a day in prayer and is a cornerstone of the Jewish faith. It’s brought down in tradition that these should be the last words to leave a Jew’s mouth before he dies. It’s a proclamation of our willingness to die for the glory of G-d.

Star of David

Also known as the “Jewish star,” the Star of David is a relatively recent symbol of Judaism. Its origins are traced by some to the Middle Ages but it did not become well known as a Jewish symbol until its adoption by the Zionist movement in 1897. The star is comprised of two interlocking triangles which together form a six-pointed star (a hexagram). In Hebrew it is called a Magen David which translates to Shield of David, which is symbolic of G-d—the ultimate shield and protector. The star is emblazoned on the flag of Israel, sealing it as an eternal symbol.

Tallit

The Tallit Gadol is the prayer shawl worn during morning prayer services. It’s a large four cornered garment with Tzitzit (ritual strings) attached to each corner. It’s worn wrapped around the entire body to symbolize being enveloped and protected by G-d. However, it can slip off from time to time which is why many people will choose to purchase tallit clips—beautiful gold or silver clips attached by a chain to ensure the Tallit stays in place.