Jewish symbols have served as reminders of identity and tools of connection. After centuries of exile and resilience, these sacred objects carry generations of meaning. These symbols offer grounding and a shared sense of purpose for Jews worldwide.
The enduring Star of David
The Star of David, the six-pointed star, is the most recognizable Jewish symbol. Its origins are complex and debated, but it has been prominent in Jewish communities since the Middle Ages.
During the Holocaust, Nazis used the star to identify and dehumanize Jewish people. But in a remarkable sign of cultural resilience, today the symbol is on the Israeli flag. It stands for continuity and pride. Many Jewish families display the Star of David in homes, on jewelry, or on synagogue walls.
Shabbat candles as living tradition
Shabbat candles are used to usher in the Sabbath every Friday evening. They symbolise peace, rest, and sacred time. Though not exclusively, women often light the candles – a tradition that honors feminine presence and spiritual leadership in the home. In modern households, whether in Tel Aviv or Toronto, the ritual continues – often with inherited silver candlesticks, sometimes with contemporary designs.
The mezuzah on the doorpost
The mezuzah is a small scroll in a decorative case, affixed to the doorpost of Jewish homes. The case holds parchment containing the declaration of faith Shema Yisrael. A mezuzah is touched or kissed when entering or leaving the home – a quiet, powerful reminder of faith and divine protection.
The mezuzah bridges the sacred and the everyday. It invites a conscious acknowledgement of one’s faith, and an awareness that the home can be a spiritual place.
Tallit and tzitzit in public and private
The tallit (prayer shawl) is traditionally worn during morning prayers. Its knotted fringes –tzitzit – serve as reminders of the commandments. Many Jewish men and some women wear a tallit katan, an undergarment with tzitzit, throughout the day. It’s often invisible to others, but deeply meaningful. For some people, it’s a form of quiet devotion, and for others it’s a daily act of resistance against forgetfulness.
In Israel, it’s common to see a tallit draped over soldiers at military funerals, or wrapped around a groom at his wedding.
The menorah as history and hope
The menorah was originally a seven-branched lampstand used in the ancient Temple. It has taken on multiple layers of meaning. Today, the most well-known form is the nine-branched Hanukkah menorah, or chanukiah. Its candles are lit during Hanukkah to commemorate the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.
A small group of Jews, vastly outnumbered, reclaimed their spiritual home from Seleucid rule. The story still resonates in times of crisis or renewal. The modern menorah thus is more than a historical artifact – it’s an ongoing beacon of hope, resistance, and light.
A large menorah stands outside many public buildings during Hanukkah in cities across the world. These displays reaffirm Jewish presence in the public sphere.
The kippah as humble reverence
Wearing a kippah (yarmulke) is a sign of reverence and humility. While not mandated by Torah, it’s a common practice among Jewish men and increasingly among women in egalitarian communities.
The kippah signals identity and intention. Putting it on, even briefly during prayer or learning, sets apart a moment as sacred.
Why these symbols still matter
These symbols don’t ask for grand gestures. Lighting shabbat candlesticks, affixing a mezuzah, or wrapping oneself in a tallit may seem a small act, but such acts connect the past and future, the everyday and the holy.
Even for secular Jewish people, these symbols offer a link to their heritage. They’re carriers of meaning, memory, and belonging. To light a candle, to touch a scroll, or to wear a piece of cloth can be an act of remembering, reclaiming, and reconnecting.
