חי‎ - Chai

Chai (pronounced with a hard /h/) is a Hebrew word that means "alive" or "living." But it has become a prominent theme and symbol in Jewish culture.

There are several instances in the Torah that point to chai as a theme of Judaism. The Shema prayer is one of them, as it speaks of the importance of 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘪, to live and walk in the Jewish cultural lifestyle.

The theme of 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘪 is used in popular Jewish names (Chaya [feminine] and Chayim [masculine]. And you're probably familiar with the well-known Jewish toast/phrase "L'chaim!" ("To life!")

Furthermore, it is in the popular slogan "Am Y'israel chai!" // עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי ("The people of Israel live!")

Chai as a symbol is also popular in Jewish culture. It is a popular choice for Jewish jewelry and decorations.

For those who don't know, letters of the Hebrew alphabet are used to represent numbers in Ancient Hebrew (including in the Bible!).

Because the value of the Hebrew letters חַי‎ (chet, yud) add to 18, 18 is a popular number and many Jewish people consider it to be good luck.

So at weddings, bar mitzvahs, and when making donations, Jewish people often give gifts of money in multiples of 18, symbolically giving the recipient the gift of “life” or luck.

*Our purpose in sharing these traditions is to help our you better learn about and understand your Jewish neighbors and friends. We hope this will help you build better bridges and connections with them.