Hasta La Ideas

You don’t need to be a Torah-toter to love Jewish rosaries. These religion-inspired beads have been popping up on cool kids everywhere (including their fearless leaders Agyness Deyn and the boys from MGMT). The (JEW)elery collection was started by Carlen Altman in her Brooklyn, NY, studio when she was inspired by vintage Catholic rosaries. As a nice little Jewish girl in BK, she couldn’t bring herself to wear a cross; hence the birth of Jewish rosaries. Each necklace is adorned with shapes like Stars of David, Hamsa hands and menorah charms. You can choose from an array of styles with names like “Chai Maintenance” for the discerning Jewess or Shiksa, or just a simple one from the “Classic” collection with a Star of David. These unusual necklaces come in both gold and silver with your choice of colored beads (personally I think the Jet shade has a great 80’s Madonna feel to it). The most recent collection comes in red, black, and even in-glow-in-the-dark (coolest thing ever!!). These are so kitschy and cool, even goyem like me can sport them! Check out the slideshow to see some of the styles and then head over to the Jewish Rosaries site to claim one (or a few) of your own!