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

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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

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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