Sunday, November 18, 2007

Mark Podwal, Prague

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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

Trinidad-hexagram
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

Convert-Jewish-starPhoto 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.