Cookies

Photo courtesy of Luke from Flickr who wrote to me why did he shot it:

My friend's mother made these for our annual Chrismukkah gift exchange. I shot them because they looked delicious.

Thanks, Luke.
To me they look original - I never saw cookies in this shape.

Daffodil

Capitol Hill, Seattle. Courtesy of "disappearinjon" from Flickr who wrote to me the following: 

As to why I took it, I can't say that at the time I saw it as I did when I was editing photos --- but that, as a person of Jewish heritage, I felt a little something when I did see it.

Let me tell you, "disappearinjon", that when I saw your picture I felt the same...
Thanks.

Karlsruhe synagogue

The new synagogue in Karlsruhe which was built in 1971 in the shape of the Star of David to commemorate the lost Jewish Community of 146,000 people who lived there before WW2

Sheriff's Badge

There are six pointed Sheriff's Badges that look exactly like David Shields, but there are also five and seven pointed Sheriff's Badges, and there are also oval Sheriff's Badges.

So it is not accurate to say that Sheriff's Badges are in the shape of David Shields, but there is a common denominator- they both are meant to protect their carriers, and their carriers are meant to protect their people.

Photo courtesy of Mr. James Duffy, SAN DIEGO COUNTY SHERIFF'S MUSEUM,
http://www.sheriffmuseum.org/badges.htm

6 point balled tip stamped nickel star badge made by California Stamp Company in San Diego. Known to be worn circa 1910, and it is the oldest known style.

Source: The Shekel, vol. 6, no. 1, 1973 ABOUT THE HEXAGRAM THE JEWISH STAR by Ben Odesser:

"Non-Jews abandoned using the ‘Jewish’ star, and it became an exclusive Jewish symbol. In the 1930’s even the police departments that used a six-  pointed star switched to a five-pointed star, as in Chicago, and in other police departments".   

Legend

I read what Daniel P. Faigin wrote about the King David shield:

"Medieval Jewish texts spoke of a magic shield possessed by King David that protected him from his enemies. These texts claim the shield was inscribed with the seventy-two letter name of G-d, or with Shaddai (Almighty) or angelic names, and was eventually passed down to Judah Maccabee".

 

Trying on the WWW to elucidate who's behind these "Medieval Jewish texts"  I stumbled upon Hashkafah.com  where TheGrimReaper's brings the following wonderful legend:

 

"I heard (from Rabbi Reisman), that during Dovid's last battle against the plishtim (which was his very last battle), he was taken captive by Ishbi-Bnov. The Plishtim tried killing him, first by using an olive press to crush him. A nes happened and the ground underneath him caved in, allowing him to escape that particular way of dying. The plishtim then tried throwing him up into the air so that he'd land over their outstretched swords, but just then he was saved by Avishai ben Tzruya who said the Shem Hashem, causing Dovid to be suspended in mid-air. So four points on the star relate to the four directions (N, S, E, W) and the two stars going up and down are to commemerate the fact that Dovid was saved by miracles going down (being saved from the olivepress), and by miracles going up (being suspended in mid-air). (Shmuel 2, 21:15-17)"

 

Unexpected Star of David

Logo of Police Trinidad &Tobago

Source: wikipedia entry:
Trinidad and Tobago Police Service

We are talking about the same shape of two equilateral triangles in different colors, sizes, materials, ornaments and places. There is an amazing variety of these and that's why it is so fascinating to collect them on this blog.

Dionne Jarrette surprised me with her story about the unexpected appearance of this symbol on Trinidad Police jeeps, flag, hats and buttons of their uniform. How did it arrive to a place where there is no synagogue and where only a few Jews live?

The explanation is that 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. Others believe it was a talisman that brought good luck and that's why it was chosen.

Magen David Alludes to the Sukkah Guests

When my son and I started developing the 3D folded paper Magen David a few years ago we thought it would be welcomed by secular Zionists. Later we thought that it fits as a decoration for Sukkoth, but we didn't know that there's a deep connection between it and the tradition of the Sukkah Guests (Ushpizen, or Ushpizin). I found it only today while I was immersed in searching articles about the origin of the Star of David . That's how I stumbled upon an answer of one of the rabbis in Ohr Somayach Yeshiva (I didn't find his name on the page). In it there was the following excerpt about the Ushpizen:

 

"Some people have the tradition to hanging a Magen David in their Sukkah. Perhaps the six sides allude to the six "Ushpizen" guests who visit during the first six days of Sukkoth: Avraham, Yitzchak, Yakob, Moshe, Aaron, and Yoseph. The star as a unified whole symbolizes the seventh "Ushpizen" -- David -- the "king" who unifies the whole. Furthermore, the Magen David has 12 sides: David as king unified the 12 tribes".

 

In Hebrew I read that the origin of the Sukkah Guests  tradition is in the Zohar, Volume 3 (Leviticus) Parsha Emor, 103, pp. 2) and it started in the 16^th century by Kabbalah sages who composed a special greeting for the guests.