Mezuzah

Mezuzah (Hebrew: מזוזה) literally means “doorpost,” and it refers to a small parchment scroll upon which the Hebrew words of the Shema are handwritten by a scribe. Mezuzah scrolls are rolled up and affixed to the doorposts of Jewish homes.

The mezuzah is the hallmark of the Jewish home, demonstrating that it leads to a Jewish household. When a Jewish family affixes a mezuzah on their permanent residence they are forming another link in Jewish history and continuing a tradition that goes back to Biblical times.