Question: My wife and I are not Jewish, but we were thinking of putting a mezuzah on our door frame in solidarity with our Jewish community members facing antisemitism. I just want to make sure it would not be insulting to the Jewish community and if you have any advice for us.
God bless and Shalom.
— Robert
Answer: Robert, hanging a mezuzah on your door is not an insult at all. It is a very meaningful act!
Here’s some helpful information: Mezuzahs have two parts. There is an outside case that is visible and often decorative but the real ritual part (the commandment, as interpreted by the rabbis) is a small scroll inside the case, called a klaf, that contains chapters from Deuteronomy. You are welcome to get both the case and the scroll but because they are hand-written by scribes scrolls can be pricey! I would suggest that to show solidarity with the Jewish people, which is such a wonderful thing, you put up the case and don’t worry about the scroll inside, which no one will see anyway. But even if you wanted to put the scroll inside, it would be fine. Thank you so much for your solidarity!
Read: Why Jews hang a mezuzah on their doorpost.
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Rabbi Asher Lopatin is the spiritual leader of Kehillat Etz Chaim in Detroit, Michigan.
