Mark Podwal, Prague

This Star of David work art picture is courtesy of artist Mark Podwal
On February 17, 2006 Benedicta Cipolla wrote about the latest exhibition of author and illustrator Mark Podwal at the Yeshiva University Museum in New York. The exhibition includes drawings for Elie Wiesel's book about the Golem. In order to finish this project Podwal traveled 8 times to Prague and started working also with the Jewish Museum there. Now he's doing a print and a poster to commemorate the museum's 100th anniversary:

Podwal chose the Star of David as the basis for the design, since Prague was the first Jewish community to identify itself with the six-pointed shape. At each point of the star are four of the city's synagogues, the Prague tombstone of 16th-century Jewish scholar David Gans, and the Prague Jewish community's special flag…

Podwal is a nonobservant Jew who draws almost exclusively on Judaism in his art.

Trinidad, Port of Spain

Photo of Star of David in Trinidad is courtesy of freelance journalist Barry Yeoman, who published it on Flickr.

The reasons for the appearance of the six pointed star in Trinidad are:
1. in the 1930s Trinidad was a British colony and a British Colonel was transferred from Palestine to Trinidad. He was not Jewish, but he probably saw it in Palestine and decided to adopt it for the Trinidad Police force.
2. Others believe it was a talisman that brought good luck and that's why it was chosen.

Using Jewish Symbols To Convert Jews

Photo is courtesy of freelance journalist Barry Yeoman who published it on Flickr with the following caption:

Berkmans is the senior pastor of Hope of Israel Messianic Congregation in Brooklyn's Brighton Beach neighborhood. One affiliated with the Russian Community Life Center, it is now a freestanding operation in a separate building. It uses Jewish symbols to reach Russian immigrants with a Christian message. See Messianics Rising, JTA, Nov. 15, 2007

I read this article and it is shocking to understand that in addition to those who want to eliminate the Jews physically there are so many evangelicals who’s aim in life is to convert them.

Esprit De Corps

Photo was taken by designer Hayim Shtayer.
Many small yellow Stars of David decorating what looks like a military badge hung over a cloths' shop.
Copyright: Hayim Shtayer 2007

Second Channel T.V.

Star of David in the Israeli Second Channel T.V.
Copyright: Hayim Shtayer 2007

Israeli Shop

Designer Hayim Shtayer shot this photo. What do we see here? The word Israel on a Star of David in a shop. Who put it there? Why?
Copyright: Hayim Shtayer 2007

Hebrew Alphabet, Tree Of Life and the Star Of David

Drawing was made by Randy from Oklahoma who wrote to me:
A friend of mine from ten years ago gave me some notes on Hebrew and Kabbalah and one-page talks about the Hebrew alphabet as a timeline of Biblical events. For example, Aleph is Adam and is at the beginning of mankind's history and Tau is at the end which represents the final judgement. Then I noticed that there are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet and 11 spots on the tree of life. So, as a challenge I thought to split the alphabet and try to pair each letter, one letter from each list, according to its meaning and then attempt to place them in the right spots on the tree. Then I superimposed the tree of life over the star of David and got better results. For example, mem is in the second half of the alphabet which means water and is in the meridian of time and represents Christ/ Messiah/Jehovah (without water there is no life and Christ/Messiah/Jehovah is the life and light of the world) and tet looks like a snake and the snake traditionally has been Satan. I placed these in the center of the Tree of Life which in turn is in the center of the Star of David which in turn is the heart of man where good and evil resides. It is something you have to see to truly understand what I did. I am not sure what purpose this has but every time I work on this I learn something new. I learned a while ago that the 12 precious stones on the breastplate of Aaron represents the twelve tribes of Israel and each tribe was assigned a letter of the alphabet. When I placed each tribe on the tree it nearly matched what I previously did on the tree. At the time I did this I had very little knowledge of Hebrew and only had his notes and a Hebrew dictionary to work with. I just took his research and expanded it. I am not sure if this has ever been done before but I hope someone can take an interest in it and continue the research.