Jewish Star

A Jewish star is stereotypically the most prevalent Jewish symbol worn as jewelry. Ironically, it is one that I wear least often in comparison to the other jewelry that I own of which I label "Jewish". I never questioned why the Jewish Star became so popular, but this course has enabled me to look at historical events that led to its popularity. I see now how Zionism contributed to its increased importance and gaze at the star with slight skepticism when remembering how it was the marker which was forced upon Jews during World War II. The star has a long history fraught with positive and negative characteristics. Like the Hamsa it has been re-appropriated and recycled throughout the years, continuously remade for adornment in many different shapes and forms. I think back to my first paper for the class which analyzed an earring on display on the first level of the Museum of Jewish Heritage. A six pointed star, it’s angles were more fluid, resembling a pinwheel made of roped silver. Miniature balls adorned its edges while undulating lines encircled its center. It was made by a Yemenite Jew by the name of Zacharia Jamil who came to New York City at the turn of the century. In order to unlock the discourses dissecting this earring, it was imperative to reference semiotics and the socio-historical roots embedded within the object itself. By doing so, it was then possible to see the earring as more than an object, but as a symbol, a “form which expresses more than it indicates, and so has the power beyond its literal denotation," as said by Erwin R. Goodenough in Jewish Symbols in the Greco-Roman Period (Goodenough 33). The Jewish star is no longer just a pendant that I wear around my neck which links me to the Jewish people, but its angles point to a nuanced story of differing perspectives. Both of my stars hail from Israel and I rarely wear them. I am not sure why, but I think it is because I do not like to overtly advertise my Judaism. Even today in America and the world over, there are places I go where I would rather not display my religion, because in the context of the world as a whole, a Jewish Star is recognized by all as a Jewish sign. One of my stars is yet again designed by Michal Negrin, while the other is from Tiberias, Israel.