Your child might ask you about the “stick” his or her Jewish friend had on their door. The stick is called a mezuzah, which is the Hebrew word for “doorpost.” It is a small tube that is placed outside the door of a Jewish home, which contains a copy of Deuteronomy 6:4, 9 and Deuteronomy 11:13-21 (two sections of the Shema) on a scroll. As a Jewish person enters or leaves the home, they are supposed to touch the mezuzah and kiss his or her fingers as a reminder of the Shema. Traditionally, a mezuzah is placed in the doorway of each living space within a Jewish home. It can be ornate or quite simple.