I landed safely in Vancouver, Canada over two weeks ago.

I so miss tucking in our grandchildren and singing them Twinkle Twinkle Little Star! Consequently, I am now pre-occupied with tucking in my Star of David necklace or not!

The other day I met a girlfriend for coffee and admired her lovely Magen David which is the Hebrew term for Star of David. She responded by telling me that she has not worn a Star of David for such a long time, and she wants to start.  She added that she was ashamed of herself because she is afraid to wear it.  It is not shame we feel since we are both proud Jewish Zionistic women, but rather, trepidation of what wearing this amulet represents to others, which might invoke, provoke and evoke an altercation of a sort.

Today I am wearing my Star of David necklace in the untucked position. If I do not come across a pro-Palestinian poster or antisemitic graffiti, I feel safe about what I am proudly showing. At times while riding the bus I rub my Star and gain comfort from my Jewish ancestry whether it is untucked or not!

We are living through very disturbing and frightening times as Jews in Israel and in the Diaspora. Many of the Jewish people I bump into here in Vancouver, shake their heads in disbelief about the rampant, worldwide antisemitism, and the many opinions about what transpired post the 7th of October.  It occurs to me that in Israel we are traumatized firsthand and that here in Vancouver, the Jews are traumatized secondhand.

I so look forward to returning to Israel in the fall to tucking our amazing grandchildren into bed. I will be adding another chant …. The “Shema”, an ancient Hebrew prayer which is recited as an affirmation that God is great, and that God is one and protects us. When we cover our eyes upon uttering the oneness of God we might or might not feel the awe, the mystery and reverence for the Almighty.

 

But what I know to be true is when our four and half year-old grandson has proclaimed to me several times that the Star of David (which in Hebrew means the shield of David) will definitely protect us when a rocket falls!