#10: Symbols and Icons - The Star of David

Recreate the Star of David in your notes

Identify two other names for the Star of David

The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David When did the Star of David begin as a symbol for Judaism?

The hexagram has been in use as a symbol of Judaism since the 17th century, with precedents in the 14th to 16th centuries in Central Europe, where a Shield of David was partly used in conjunction with the Seal of Solomon (the hexagram) on Jewish flags

In the 17th century, the Shield of David as the hexagram began to represent the Jewish community generally, when the Jewish quarter of Vienna was formally distinguished from the rest of the city by a boundary stone having the hexagram on one side and the Christian cross on the other. By the 18th century, the Shield appeared to represent the Jewish people in both secular (politics) and religious (synagogue) contexts. The Star of David can be found on the tombstones of religious Jews in Europe since the 18th century.

What was the significance of a yellow Star of David in WW2?

A Star of David, often yellow-colored, was used by the Nazis during the Holocaust as a method of identifying Jews. After the German invasion of Poland in 1939 there were initially different local decrees forcing Jews to wear a distinct sign – If a Jew was found without wearing the star in public, they could be subjected to severe punishment. The requirement to wear the Star of David with the word Jude (Germanfor Jew) inscribed was then extended to all Jews over the age of six.