Fashion Trend

Dea Hadar wrote an article in Haaretz newspaper about the new Israeli fashion trend to wear the Star of David in any imaginable way.

The six-pointed symbol is the main attraction at jewelry stands in the street, is a best-seller in prestige shops, appears on jeans, underwear, socks, posters, shoelaces and is being spray-painted on buildings. People are walking around with a Star of David tied around their neck, hanging from an earlobe, dangling from their belly buttons and tattooed on intimate areas of their body.

The Israeli rapper called Subliminal uses many sentences that include the words Star of David in his lyrics; like

I won't give in today, won't ever give in, with a Star of David until my last day.

 He sold a disc of his songs with a Star of David and a chain that soldiers wear as a tag.

Dea Hadar says that 

the source of the Star of David - the symbol, not the fashion - is not clear

I sent her a letter referring her to Uri Ofir's research where he claims that the origin of the Star of David is from the Menorah in the Tabernacle, about a year after the Exodus.

Archaeological Garden

In the Israeli president's residence there will soon be an archaeological Garden whose motif is Jewish heritage in Israel. In it there will be

Capitals, door lintels, relief decorated friezes, mosaics, and dedicatory inscriptions from… Jerusalem, Ramat Rachel, Samaria, Mazor, Caesarea, Tiberias, 'Ilut, Korazim, Gush Halav, 'Alma, Tel Dan, Horbat Shura, Horbat 'En Nashut, Horbat Kanaf, Afiq, Rafid and other sites.

One of the items is a 

Basalt pillar stone with relief decoration depicting a Magen David  and Rosetta [from the] Synagogue [of] Horbat Shura,Upper Galilee 5th-7th century CE.

Decorations and Medals

The Star of David appears on the following Decorations and Medals of the State of Israel:

1. Heroism Decoration-"Awarded for exceptional courage during fighting, against the face of the enemy, while risking one’s life... This award is estimated to have been awarded around 40 times (perhaps half these awards posthumous)".

2. Police Heroism Order

3. Volunteers Ribbon -Awarded to people who lived in the territory of the state of Israel and served in the UK armed forces or in the Turkish armed forces during WW1.

4. Badge for service with British Forces during WWII

5. Nazi Fighter Ribbon and Medal 

- Awarded to Israeli citizens who, during WW II, fought against the Nazis as partisans or as underground movement members and to veterans of the Soviet armed forces who have emigrated to Israel.

Star of David on a Church

I saw a picture of a Star of David on the Santa Croce church in Florence. This arose my curiosity and I started searching who's behind this rare phenomenon. I read that it was designed between 1853 and 1863 by a Jewish architect from Ancona, Niccolo Matas [1798 - 1872].

Matas had wanted to be buried with his peers but because he was Jewish, he was buried under the porch and not within the walls. Another interesting note is that the large Star of David which dominates the top of the facade is in recognition of the Jewish community's support for the construction of the building.  

 

Star of David Tattoo

Photo is courtesy of David I. Herman, from Redmond Washington, owner / operator of "Ambrosia Tattoo Gallery, L.L.C.
David wrote to me the following:

The tattoo was done in Michigan when my shop was in Oak Park. I am of Jewish heritage, thus a Jewish/Buddhist tattoo artist. The client is Jewish and is proud to be Jewish, he also has a Hamsa on the other shoulder with the "eye of God" - the raised arms of Jewish slaves - and the tablets of the ten commandments. I included it for your curiosity". I am an ex advertising executive, martial artist, world ranked roulette player, and now a humble tattoo artist and painter. Well, not so humble, I work hard at my craft.

I wrote him back:

This Star of David design of yours is a delight to my eyes...

Schmelvis

About two months ago I enjoyed seeing the great documentary "Schmelvis: In Search of Elvis Presley's Jewish Roots" on my T.V; it was before I started this Blog. Now I stumbled upon a review of the book that Jonathan Goldstein wrote (with Max Wallace) about his travels from Israel to Graceland with Dan Hartel and with Reuben Poupko.

 Dan Hartel is a Hasidic Jewish Elvis impersonator, "who performs at senior citizens' homes under the stage name "Schmelvis," and Reuben Poupko is an eccentric Orthodox Rabbi.

The three discover that:

·        "Elvis always wore a Jewish Chai pendant;

·        He put a Star of David on his mother's headstone;

·        He spent his teenage years living in a predominantly Jewish Memphis neighborhood; Cantorial records may have influenced Elvis's singing style;

·        As a young man, he had a nose-job to reduce the prominence of his Jewish nose".

 

Judenpost

Photo is courtesy of David Diamant and if you have more information about this banknote please drop him a note at 313diamant@gmail.com

These stamps were of 10 marks, 5 marks and 20 marks stamps. Each stamp had a Star of David under its upper left corner and on its right side there was the image of Mordechai Chaim  Rumkowski,  the head of the Jewish Council in Lodz Ghetto who was appointed by the Nazis.

Rumkowski established post offices and ran a contest for stamps to be used for interior correspondence. The first Ghetto stamps were ready on March 9, 1944. Soon after the stamps were printed the Germans decided these stamps wouldn't be permitted, and only a small amount was sold by the Ghetto post office. It is unclear to this day what happened to these stamps.

 5Pf  Rumkowski stamp

10Pf  Rumkowski stamp-1

 10Pf  Rumkowski stamp-2

 5Pf  Rumkowski stamp

More than 200,000 Jews of the Lodz Ghetto were murdered. When Lodz was finally liberated on January 19, 1945 only 877 Jews were still alive, some of them still wearing the Star of David on their chests.