Art and Crafts hamsas. Bring your creativity and joy while we chat, laugh, and paint ceramic hamsas! We will have everything you need.

Families welcome!

Makawao address will be given with RSVP

To learn more about the hamsa, click here

What Is A Hamsa?

Although it may derive from Islamic or pagan culture, the hamsa today has become a Jewish and Israeli symbol.

You’ve probably seen these uniquely shaped symbols on pendants worn by Jewish women or displayed in Judaica stores.  And in Israel the hamsa — whether on necklaces, keychains or displayed on walls — is as ubiquitous as  the Star of David.

But what is a hamsa exactly? And what makes it Jewish?

This symbol of an eye embedded in the palm of an open hand has had numerous other names throughout the ages, including the eye of Fatima, the hand of Fatima, and the hand of Miriam. The form is sometimes rendered naturally and other times symmetrically with a second thumb replacing the little finger.

The hamsa has been variously interpreted by scholars as a Jewish, Christian, or Islamic amulet, and as a pagan fertility symbol. Yet even as the magical form remains shrouded in mystery and scholars debate nearly every aspect of its emergence, it is recognized today as a kabbalistic amulet and as an important symbol in Jewish art.