Stripes are not required for a tallit, although they are strongly traditional in some communities. In Ashkenazi Jewish communities –communities that trace their roots to Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages—prayer shawls traditionally have black or blue stripes. The stripes call back to the blue dye used to color one of the tzitzit strings in … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Sephardic
Hamsa: A Handful of Good Luck
Probably the most popular Jewish good luck symbol today is the hamsa. It’s been around a long time–thousands of years. Here’s some background from the introduction to the hamsa project in the Sew Jewish book: Hamsa Your hand is strong. Your right hand, exalted. (Psalms 89:14) A tiny falafel shop I used to frequent in … Continue reading