This image shows three men at the Herzl Synagogue, then in the Central Area of Seattle. The man on the right is wearing a kippah (or yarmulke) and pointing to a mezuzah. “Mezuzah” means “door post” in Hebrew and it refers to a small scroll with two passages from the Torah written on it. The scroll is inserted into a case which is often decorated. The case is then attached to the door frame of Jewish homes, on the right side as one enters the room. According to tradition, the mezuzah is attached to the entry door as well as most interior doors.

The photograph was taken a few days before Rosh HaShanah, the celebration of the New Year in the Jewish calendar.

Caption information source: “What is a mezuzah? Why and how do we use it?”, http://reformjudaism.org/beliefs-practices/lifecycle-rituals/what-mezuzah-why-and-how-do-we-use-it