Chai

Two letters, one word

Chai is the Hebrew word for ‘life’, written with two letters, chet and yod. Hebrew letters also stand for numbers: chet is 8 and yod is 10, so the word adds up to 18, as Reform Judaism explains.

Worn from the 18th century

According to Reform Judaism, Jews in Eastern Europe began to wear chai as a charm in the 18th century. A word became something to carry: two letters, worn close, that spell life and count to 18.

To verify: The earliest dated chai charm, and where it was made

A sign of identity

Today chai is worn widely as a sign of Jewish identity, and of life itself. Because it is a word, every letter matters: before we make a piece, a competent Hebrew reader checks that chet and yod are drawn and placed correctly, chet on the right.