A Hamsa is a charm, amulet or symbol used by people of Jewish and Islamic faiths. The Hamsa hand has always been associated with offering protection from evil and misfortune. “Hamsa” literally means “five” in Arabic.  The word “Hamsa” originated as a root word in the Semitic languages of the Middle East. It is also spelled Hamesh (Hebrew for “five”), Chamsa, and Khamsa.

It is widely thought to ward off the ‘evil eye’ and offer protection. The Hamsa looks like a hand with three fingers pointing upward and the thumb and little finger pointing outward.  The palm of the hand is commonly covered with an eye. There are two main styles of the Hamsa hand:  the stylized Hamsa hand with two symmetrical thumbs, and Hamsa hands that are not symmetrical and shaped like actual hands.  Either Hamsa can be displayed with the fingers pointing up or down.  Both are believed to offer its owner happiness, peace and prosperity.

As the Hamsa is closely associated with both Judaism and Islam, it is a wonderful example of inter faith culture. Here you can see Hamsa designs created by Eastbrook Students in solidarity with the Jewish faith and culture, as part of the Jewish week of activities. Students included Jewish symbols and added symbols from their own cultures as well. Well done Eastbrook, we are PROUD!