Zodiac with Hexagram

Zodiac with hexagrams scattered around the astrological signs printed by Nicolas le Rouge and published in the book titled Le grant kalendrier des Bergiers, 1496 Troyes France

Golda Meir Shirt

A Star of David appears on the sleeve of a Golda-Meir-shirt made by Naomi Meiberg. Naomi Meiberg is a good friend of Drora Weizman, who told me that she wears this shirt as a delicate tattoo, and she likes this shirt, mainly on account of the modest place that the Magen David takes there.

Copyright: Drora Weizman 2008

Symbol of Ownership or Symbol of Coexistence

Picture of Magen David above the entrance to the Tomb of Shimon Hatzadik (Shimon the Righteous) in the old city of Jerusalem is courtesy of Anat Skili.
Copyright: Anat Skili 2008
Thanks to Dobush from Kfar Aza for referring me to her blog.
Shimon Hatzadik was the last of Anshei Knesset Hagedolah. Legend has it that he met Alexander the great in Jerusalem.
The Tomb of Shimon Hatzadik is a controversial place: Arabs and Jews claim ownership on it. I guess that this Magen David is meant to show the Arabs that the place is holy to the Jews. I am quite sure that the drawer didn’t know that the six-pointed star is Muslim not less than Jewish, and in fact it represents coexistence, but if one is satisfied with his ignorance why do I bother to disturb him?

Tombstone of a Jewish soldier

Picture of a Magen David mark on a tombstone of a Jewish soldier in the British Military Cemetery in Ramla was taken two years ago by Dobush from Kfar Aza.
Copyright: Dobush 2008

Dvora Morag, Decoration Committee

Stars of David appear on the work “Decoration Committee” by Dvora Morag.

Copyright: Dvora Morag 2008

Artist Dvora Morag teaches art at the Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology and the Arts, The Kalisher campus, 5 Kalisher Street, Tel Aviv.

Technique: Black paper clips along with colorful cellophane papers inspired by the aesthetics of Hanukkah decorations of elementary schools in Israel.

Concept: The work deals with the Holocuast. It includes images borrowed from different sources. These images are part of the Israeli-Jewish and, actually, the human consciousness. Among these images we find the main building in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp as well as the boy from Warsaw Ghetto, raising his hands.

Such images are tattooed into our minds during our early childhhod, mainly through education in elementary schools. Later they blend and create new connotations.

The above picture is a detail from the whole work, which can be zoomed in by clicking the All Sizes Command above each picture in Flickr.

The Black that Hides Under the Light

Yellow badge with cuts in the canvas that reveal underneath a black background. The original meaning of the yellow color (light, life) was distorted by the Nazis and started actually to mean what the black color conveys: darkness and death.

Inspired by Italian painter Lucio Fontana.

Size: 50X50

Acrylic on canvas and cuts in the canvas

Copyright: Sabina Saad 2008

Marc Ash

Star of David, yellow badge and Nazi concentration camp identifying triangles surround a square with the word Dieu (God). The square is a piece of Nazi concentration camp prisoners’ uniform.

Tous Ensemble (All Together) has a barbed wire circlet centered on a patch of striped fabric, like prison uniforms, stenciled with "Dieu ?"("God ?"). Surrounding them are more patches shaped in single triangles or pairs forming Stars of David in colors the Nazis used to identify which category (Jew, homosexual, gypsy, for example) qualified a person for a concentration camp or for extermination. The stenciled numbers 1 through 6 are scattered around, a recurring motif that I take to refer to the six death camps and the estimated 6-million Jews killed.

From: http://www.tampabay.com/features/visualarts/article518349.ece

Palestine Magen David

Star of David drawn on an envelope from 29.1.1937 is courtesy of Dobush from Kfar Aza. This envelope was sent from Palestine, Texas, to Mr. Horowitz. The sender added to the American stamps also two British mandate stamps. Dobush added that Palestine, Texas became known after 1.2.2003 following the crash of space shuttle Columbia, in which was Ilan Ramon. The debris of the space shuttle fell near this city.

Postcards to a Soldier

Star of appears on an art work by Drora Weizman, one of a series of postcards sent to her daughter. Drora wrote to me:

In January 2003 my daughter was recruited to the Israeli Army, and during a year of her studying in a military course, very incommunicado from home, I prepared for her postcards every day, and this was the only art that I could create at that same time, a sort of dialog between art and everyday life. While the words told what happened at home, the imagery discovered contents that were beyond the words.

Size: between 8.5 x 15 cm and 20.5 x 16 cm

Copyright: Drora Weizman 2008

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Chinese Checkers Hexagram

On September 2006 I wrote that I’d like to buy Chinese Checkers for my little private "museum" of star of David stuff. This week my son bought it for me at Chutzot Hayotzer Annual Fair at Jerusalem, Israel.

The Last Road

A yellow badge is attached to many of the figures in Benjamin Pelegs’ The Last Road. The figures are marching to their death (symbolized by the black background) in an endless circle.

Here we see only a small part of the work, but you can see the whole high resolution picture on Flickr, by clicking the command “all sizes” right above the picture. You are invited also to see more holocaust paintings by Benjamin Peleg at

http://flickr.com/photos/zeevveez/sets/72157606720060091/

Copyright: Benjamin Peleg 2008

Mandala Painting Workshop

Picture of Magen David is from the painting workshop of Israeli Mandala expert Ofira Oriel. Participants were religious women. The workshop was dedicated to learning about the meaning of the Magen David along with creation, and prayer to find inner balance and peace, which are symbolized by the Magen David.

Zoom in by clicking the all sizes command above the picture in Fickr

Copyright: Ofira Oriel 2008

Decoration for British Mandate Prisoners

The Israeli Decoration for British Mandate Prisoners has a blue Star of David on the background of a jail. Picture is courtesy of Tal Inbar. This decoration is granted to underground anti British Mandate prisoners who spent more than 6 months in jail.

Shoulder Strap

Stars of David appear on a series of artworks (shoulder straps, medals and ranks) by Israeli artist Drora Weizman who wrote in the caption for her exhibit “March” in Tel Aviv Artists’ House on September 2006 (Treasurer : Daniel Kahana Lewinson):

In the beginning of the summer I collected the obsolescent shoulder straps of my domestic soldiers in order to put on them pencils and colors, in the spirit of the bible verse about swords into plowshares and shoulder straps into pens. I wanted to praise and to adorn, and on the way to let some steam out. I wanted folly, and some fun; I wanted to move the subject from its gloomy source; to end a chapter, to call for another order. To do an act of insurgence, and at the same time to say thank you. Victory Marsh to survivors!

Suddenly, a war broke up in the north (in the south it was all the time on low fire). It was clear that there’s a new need to prepare new shoulder straps and ranks to mark the ups and downs of the national moods.

Zoom in by clicking the ALL SIZES command right above each picture.

Copyright: Drora Weizman 2008

I like the direction Drora points upon. Hence everyone can imagine to himself shoulder straps according to his own personal taste and needs. I, for instance, imagine shoulder straps of the Israeli futuristic army of peace, and on them the word peace without quotation marks in different languages and with psychedelic colors.

Jewish Star Tattoo

Tattoo of a Star of David with flames on the waist of a muscular Hebrew man (on his chest appears the Hebrew word for Hebrew).

Picture by Alan Miller
Copyright: Alan Miller 2008
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Turkish Over Print

This crescent with six-pointed star on an old stamp sent to me by my dear friend Stephanie Comfort is not a future symbol of reconciliation between Islam and Judaism but an Over Print on a Turkish stamp.

My friend Dobush from Kfar Aza asked Moshe Rimer from collectors Forum in Tapuz what’s the story behind it and Rimer answered that the stamp was issued originally in 1892 and its value was 10 Para; then it was over printed in red in 1897 and its value was 5 Para. Then it was over printed again in 1915 (WWI) with the crescent and six-pointed star; then again with 5 pointed star as a result of accepting the protest of religious leaders against the six-pointed star; then again by Arab authorities in 1920.

Yoram Blumann sent Dobush the following comment:

Hexagram on Turkish stamps

During WW1, current Turkish stamps [i.e. part of the vast stocks of stamps held in store] were overprinted each year for use during that year. This was probably a 'security' or 'economic' measure. The 1915 [really 1331] print consists of over 100 different stamps- same as 1916 and 1917, but in those years it was 5 pointed star pentagram. I do not see anything really special in using the hexagram symbol on the overprint; after all, it's use in classic Arabic and Coptic literature designs etc is fairly widespread.

See my Non-Jewish Star of David stamps album on Picasa

Zoom in.

My Magen David Book at Chutzot Hayotzer Annual Fair

My Magen David Book and my Israeli Flag of Equality Sticker waiting for readers and buyers at Chutzot Hayotzer Annual Fair, Jerusalem 2008

Israel Needs Mental First Aid

Stars of David appear on an artwork by Israeli artist Drora Weizman (b. 1956) titled Tabernacle (2007). We see the cover of an old notebook, which belonged to Drora’s son. In Hebrew, the big letters Eran are the initials of Mental First Aid, and Drora wrote me that these initials inspired her to create this work, because it seems that Israel needs Mental First Aid.

IMHO this work will stay actual forever because in every generation, there will be a need to stop and ask if the State is still sane. Anyhow, to keep asking the question seems quite normal…

Copyright: Drora Weizman 2008

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Open Wound

Star of David, painted in the Israeli national colors, White and blue, with cuts in the canvas that reveals underneath a yellow badge, like an Open Wound that would never heal.

Size: 50X50

Acrylic on canvas and cuts in the canvas

Copyright: Sabina Saad 2008

Zoom in by clicking the All Sizes icon above the picture in Flickr

Kibbutz Ein Harod, Wagon

Hayim Shtayer took this Photo of an old wagon with white six-pointed Stars at the entrance to Kibbutz Ein Harod. I asked Anat from Beit Shturman what are these stars doing there, and she checked it out:

The wagon had been used for cultivation of fields in Kibbutz Ein Harod and it was painted about 15 years ago by a volunteer from Australia named Richard, who married a girl who was born in that Kibbutz, and now they both live in Australia. May be Richard tried to paint the Australian flag stars which are five pointed, but eventually the stars came out six-pointed like the Israeli Star of David.

Zoom in by clicking the ALL SIZES icon above the picture in Flickr.

Copyright: Hayim Shtayer 2008

Drora Weizman, Plan 2001

Star of David appears on an artwork by Israeli artist Drora Weizman titled Plan 2001

Size: 15X 22 cm

Drora wrote to me:

Collage paper and electronic components on a wood platform. At the bottom under the red wires there’s a silver Star of David made from the wrapping of a chocolate coin.

The work was created after a terrorist act in 14.4.01 at Kfar Saba and a few other

terrorist acts at Netania.

The work points at two main possibilities:

1. To connect all the components so that Herzl’s vision would come true.

2. To connect and wire all the components so that the whole package would explode.

Copyright:Drora Weizman 2008

Zoom in by clicking the ALL SIZES icon above the picture in Flickr.

Drora Weizman, Herzl 25 grams

Star of David on a golden medallion paper appears on an artwork by Israeli artist Drora Weizman (b. 1956) titled Herzl 25 gram.

The work was created in 2000.

Size: 17X23 cm.

Technique: collage, golden papers, military decoration, velvet frame.

Drora Weizman says in the caption that she’s willing to give Herzl decorations and medals, stars and suns, chocolates and krembo (marshmallow treat), if only he’ll keep his side of the Contract. In Hebrew the word Contract has a double meaning, and is used also to denote a prophet (seer). Herzl’s nickname in Hebrew is “the seer of the Jewish State.

My interpretation: Herzl is a lightweight prophet (25 grams) since the “State of the Jews” which he envisioned has a large Arab minority, and since most of the Jews live in other countries.

Z oom in

Copyright: Drora Weizman 2008

Yael Falk, Metal Crochet

Star of David appears on a metal crochet by Yael Falk who discovered that when a pomegranate has an ending of six it creates a Star of David.

Copyright: Yael Falk 2008

Drora Weizman, Closet with Kits For Seeing a Wonderful Thing

Reddish Star of David in a circle appears on an artwork by Israeli artist Drora Weizman (b. 1956) titled “Closet With Kits For Seeing a Wonderful Thing”.

Size: 63 X 29 X 14

The work presents all kinds of redemption sensors.

Copyright: Drora Weizman 2008

Zoom in by clicking the ALL SIZES icon above the picture in Flickr.

Drora Weizman, Postcard for Fresh Color Fair, 2008

Star of David appears on an artwork by Israeli painter Drora Weizman (b. 1956). In the background we see stripes that resemble the American flag and allude to the American influence on the Israeli culture. Also in the background we can read text in Hebrew. The text is made from cliché sentences frequently heard on T.V. A repeated term is: “core issues”.

Copyright: Drora Weizman 2008

Wheelchair Beijing Olympic games 2008

The story (in Hebrew) and the (star of David based) logo (bottom left) of the Israeli Wheelchair Basketball Team that will participate in the Beijing Olympic games 2008 on an Aroma coffee house napkin.

Hayim Shtayer took the picture and the napkin is part of his collection.

Copyright: Hayim Shtayer 2008

Yellow Badge Sculpture

Photo of the Memorial for the Jewish Fighters against the Nazi enemy that I took a few weeks ago in Remez Neighbourhood, public garden, Haifa, Israel.

Sculptor: Gershon Knispel.

Construction finished in 1991.

It looks like metal, but, surprisingly, it feels like concrete.

See the whole series on:

http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=29001414%40N00&q=Knispel+gershon&m=text

and zoom in by clicking ALL SIZES icon above each photo.

Mishkan Noam Lampshade

This David’s Shield Lampshade was made by Dr. Asher Eder with his own hands. In the 1970’s it used to light the room of Mishkan Noam, Spiritual Center in the Galilee.

For the memory of the Holocaust victims from Libya

Copyright: Sabina Saad 2008
Size: 20X20 cm

Acrylic on canvas

Cutting part of the canvas in the shape of the yellow badge, so that it alludes to the Jewish victims during the Holocaust.

The work is one of a series.

Sabina Saad says that Jews always regarded themselves as part of the regime under which they lived, and were meaningful contributors to those places – so that their disappearing in WWII left a hole (symbolically) in the flag of each country.

In Libya 5000 Jews were locked in concentration camps and 500 of them died from dysentery. 160 Jews were transferred to Bergen-Belsen.

Sparkler Fireworks

Dan Feldman sent me this six-pointed star shaped fireworks, and I plan to light it on my birthday (then We’ll have another photo of it in action and maybe a video film).

Thanks, Dan.

Bezalel Tile

Two Stars of David appear on this Bezalel Tile from the 1920’s, above a painting of Jerusalem. From Wikipedia in Hebrew; entry: “The symbol of Tel Aviv, Zeev Holtzman collection”.

Star of David Spiral

Indian ink on paper

Copyright: Niza Levin 2008

http://www.akatar.com/Gal_MagenDavid.htm

Niza Levin, Sea of Shields

Stars of David appear numerous times on Niza Levin's work titled The Sea of Shields

Pastel on Canvas

See: http://www.akatar.com/Gal_MagenDavid.htm

Zoom in (click the All Sizes button above the picture):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zeevveez/2719464003/

Zvi Malnovitzer

[Zvi Malnovitzer was] raised and educated in a Hasidic community in Bnai Brak, Israel and while learning at the Ponevezh Yeshiva he somehow found the time and energy to learn to draw.

In his work titled Hasidic Huppah, which was created after 2000, oil on wood

The overall space soars upward to contain the red huppah that shelters the celebrants; effectively floating over them is the barely visible Magen David.

See:

http://www.jewishpress.com/UploadedImages/stdImage/450mcbee-080108-huppah.jpg