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‘Walking’ across Israel
Blind Israeli boy learns what his country “looks" like by
tracing the ridges and valleys of the raised map. It is one of a
number of visual aids to be provided for blind and near blind
children in Israel with financial aid from the American Jewish
Joint Distribution Committee. JDC receives funds for its
programs in Israel and other countries overseas mainly from
American Jewish federations and welfare funds through the
United Jewish Appeal.
‘Magen
by Donald Berlin
I he (Chivatnl Sentinel
Some call il a “Jewish Star."
Most Jewish people take great
pride in seeing the magen David,
the six-pointed Star of David,
whether they are lookingat the flag
of Israel, the wall of a synagogue,
the fuselage of an Israeli airplane, a
piece of jewelry around someone's
neck, or a design on some insignia
Even though many of us refuse to
admit that we take symbols very
seriously. I contend that symbols
affect us more than we realize
Among our many Jewish
symbols, the singular example of
the magen David is a common and
vital one in expressing Jewish
identity. Jewish feeling, and
Jewish unity. If this is true for
millions of Jews around the world,
it is likewise a Jewish symbol to an
even greater number of non-Jews
who identify it as a Jewish badge, a
trademark with both positive and
negative overtones.
Ask someone who is fairly well-
versed in Judaism: “Tell me, where
did the magen David originate?"
The response is likely to be a shrug
of the shoulders, a couple of
reasonable conjectures about its
relative lack of importance in
Jewish history, and complete
uncertainty about just how it came
to be a central Jewish motif.
The magen David has an
interesting background. Geo
metrically, the “star" is a hexagram
which dates all the way back to the
Bronze Age where possibly it was
an ornament and sometimes a
magical sign It seems to have been
usfd by many ancient peoples of
David’
different backgrounds as a
common decoration. This is
probably the reason it can be seen
at the synagogue in Capernaum
where it appears on a frieze
alongside not only a pentagram (a
5-pointed star) but. amazingly,
also a swastika, later to become the
symbol of Nazi Germany.
However, in spite of this early 2nd
century appearance, there is no
mention of it as a Jewish emblem
in any of the Rabbinic literature
The symbol becomes very
popular in the Middle Ages. It
appears frequently as a notarial
sign in European countries by both
Christian and Jewish notaries
alike You can trace its appearance
on the exterior of churches, on its
ritual objects, and even on the
marble bishop’s throne (c. 1266) in
the Cathedral of Anagni. Or study
its Arab background to discover
that the hexagram was called the
“Seal of Solomon" and was
considered a talisman with magical
power.
It was only during the Middle
Ages that anyone associated this
emblem with Kind David. David's
emblem was considered rather to
be a rendering of Psalm 67 in the
shape of a menorah. the other
great Jewish emblem. There are a
variety of instances in which the
magen David was used on objects
for use in synagogues, on wood
carvings over the ark and.
beginning in the late 18th century,
in cemeteries.
In the early 19th century. Jews
sought a striking simple design
which would "symbolize"
Judaism, imitating the central
— 1 ©btiuart£0—
Mrs. Muriel Berger
Mrs. Muriel Baron Berger, 77,
of Atlanta died Thursday, Dec. 20.
Graveside service was held
Sunday, Dec. 23, at Crest Lawn
Memorial Park with Rabbi Alvin
Sugarman officiating.
Mrs. Berger, a retired real estate
agent, was a member of the
Temple.
She is survived by her sister,
Mrs. Edward 1 Fox of Fort
Lauderdale
Mrs. Gertrude Austern
Mrs. Gertrude Austern, 79, a
native of Atlanta, died Friday,
Dec. 21.
Graveside service was held
Friday, Dec. 21, at Greenwood
Cemetery with Rabbi Harry H.
Epstein and Cantor Isaac
Goodfriend officiating.
Mrs. Austern was retired after
30 years with Thompson Boland
and Lee shoes. She was a member
of Ahavath Achim Synagogue, the
Progressive Club, and American
Mizrachi Women.
Survivors include her son,
Marvin Austern of Atlanta and
several nieces and nephews.
Loewinsohn Unveiling
Unveiling ceremonies in
memory of Mrs. Sarah T.
Loewinsohn of Atlanta will take
place at 11:13 a m., Sunday, Dec.
30, at Crest Lawn Memorial Park
with Rabbi Emanuel Feldman
officiating.
Emanuel Mardy
Emanuel Mardy, 83, of Atlanta,
formerly of Washington, D C.,
died Wednesday, Dec. 19.
Funeral service was held
Thursday, Dec. 20, at Green Lawn
Chapel with Rabbi Robert Ichay
officiating. Interment was in
National Capitol Hebrew
Cemetery in Capitol Heights, Md.
Mr. Mardy, a native of Turkey,
was a retired delicatessen owner.
He was a member of Congregation
Or VeShalom.
Survivors include his wife, Mrs.
Sadie Behar Mardy; daughters,
Mrs. Harry Yoles of Silver
Springs, Md., and Mrs. Joe
Arogetti of Atlanta; sister, Mrs.
Esther Piexoto of Silver Springs;
10 grandchildren and two great
grandchildren.
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M ablet on
Marble & Granite
Company
facts
symbols of Christianity and Islam
The magen David began to appear
everywhere throughout both
Eastern and Western European
Jewish communities as well as
among Oriental Jews. Conse
quently, it was quite natural for the
first Zionist Congress to adopt it as
its symbol with the word “Zion" in
the center. The magen David
became the emodiment of
new hopes and a new future for the
Jewish people
As early as 1930, the Magen
David Adorn (the Red Magen
David) became the sole symbol of
first aid and medical assistance in
Palestine. When the Nazis came to
power, that very same design now
became a badge of suffering and
shame as well as of hope. The
official emblem of the State of
Israel is the menorah, but the
magen David is more commonly
associated with the nation because
it is so prominently displayed on
Israel’s flag and other national
marks of Identity.
What is the special attraction of
the magen David? Is it only a
couple of equilateral triangles
having the same center and placed
in opposite directions'’ Or is this
banner, this figure, this design of
ours a symbolic expression of a
distinctive life, a reflection of the
past, a hope for the future?
The magen David by itself has
no Jewish roots nor has it Jewish
religious expression In fact, we
Jews have always prided ourselves
in not making symbols objects of
worship Bui in the psyche of self-
affirming Jews, and in the context
of Jewish recognition among our
people and by others, it radiates
Jewish identity.
Long
paying
record.
i Take stock in America, i
\ Buy US. Savings Bonds.;
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What finer way to eternally
express your love. Let our
experience guide you now
in the selection of a family
monument ... a permanent
tribute to those who bear
your family name.
Our years of faithful service
to the community are your
assurance of satisfaction.
Mabieton
Marble & Granite
Company
Rt'[>rc\enfcd />i
Mrs. Irving M. (.alanty
5584 Gordon Road
Mabieton, Georgia 30059
office home
948-2279 872-0039
v y
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Page 17 THE SOUTHER* ISRAELITE December 28, 1979