This Kapow pupil video is part of the Kapow Religion and worldviews scheme of work. It explores how some Jewish people remember to follow their religious teachings using special clothes and symbols.

In the Torah, there are 613 mitzvot – commandments or good deeds. To help remember them, some Jewish people wear a tallis, a prayer shawl, or tzitzit, special fringes with knots. Each set of fringes has 8 threads and 5 knots, which together with the Hebrew value of the word tzitzit (600), adds up to 613. The fringes are a daily reminder of the mitzvot and God’s presence. The colour blue is often included to symbolise the sea and sky, reminding wearers of God’s creation. Orthodox Jewish men and boys may wear tzitzit under their clothes all the time, while others wear a tallis mainly during prayer.