By Donald H. Harrison

SAN DIEGO — Melanie Rubin, our fellow enthusiast for Jewish license plates, recently spotted Khai 18, which sends not one but two interesting messages.  

Khai is an alternate spelling for the Hebrew word Chai (life) as in the famous toast, L'chaim! To Life!"  Some people prefer it to Chai because English speakers have a tendency to read the "ch" with the same sound that combination makes in the word "child" rather than with the sound made by the letter chet.  By switching the first letter from a "c" to a "k" it alerts people that there is a different pronunciation.

Another reason some people prefer the Kh alternate is because, especially in the United States, we tend to see messages from merchants that read "Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah."  In that the spelling of the two holidays start with the same two first letters, and to the vast majority of Americans, "Christmas" is the better known holiday, it is easy to understand why people might try to pronounce "Chanukah" with the same "ch" sound as in "Christmas."  It's closer than the "ch" of "child" but it still doesn't quit match the sound of the letter chet.  On the other hand, the problem with the 'kh" construction is that the sound that it makes in English, such as in "khaki," doesn't quite match the "chet" either.  But, at least, the "kh" construction does make the reader stop and wonder just how to pronounce the word it is used in..

In addition to a message about orthography, this interesting license plate also notes the numeric equation between the Hebrew word meaning "life" and the number "18."  In Hebrew, before 1, 2, 3... was used, the alphabet was also used to express numbers.  The first letter of the alphabet, or alef-bet, is the alef, א. It had a numerical value of 1.  The second letter, 'bet.' ב, has a numerical value of 2, and onward through the alphabet, each letter has been assigned a value.   "Chai" or "Khai," in this case, is spelled Chet (or Khet, in this case),  ח, followed by Yud, י.   The Chet/Khet is worth 8; the yud is worth 10.  Adding 8 plus 10, one gets 18.  So the Hebrew word for "life" has a Hebrew numerical value of 18. As Hebrew is written from right to left (as opposed to English which is written left to right), chai (or khai) is spelled 'ח.  One is fortunate to have a life, and the number "18" therefore is considered lucky.  Many Jews wear  'ח pendants around their necks for luck.  Many Jews also like to give charitable gifts in denominations of 18, to bring luck to both the giver and the receiver.

All that in a license plate!   No wonder Melanie Rubin and others—like me—consider them fascinating.  Here's where our collection stands as of today. As always, please send in any Jewish interest license plate you spot to sdheritage@cox.net 


        
Yiddish: Upright, outstanding person      Yididish:  For you, only good            Hebrew: In peace

     

Yiddish: Grandma                                                Yiddish: Grandma 2                 Hebrew & English: Mother to 3

               
Hebrew & English: Mother for 4                  Hebrew: Life 18                                       Yiddish: Little Mindy                            

            
    Yiddish: Woe is me, Ma                     Biblical: A life as long as Moses            Yiddish: Grandpa