10 Beautiful Jewish Star Necklaces

I have never worn a Jewish Star—a Magen David—necklace before. Certainly, they’ve been gifted to me, but I’ve always felt conspicuous wearing one. Growing up in Vancouver, where the Jewish community is very small (a tiny fraction of the 395,000 or so of us who live in Canada), I wasn’t particularly open (or, unfortunately, proud) of being Jewish. I felt “other” (as actress Mayim Bialik put it so eloquently in a must-watch recent Instagram reel, “Like a stranger in a strange land”), and, having experienced some antisemitism as a kid, didn’t particularly wish to call out my Jewish-ness. Not anymore. Now, more than ever, Jews all over the world, myself included, who never wore this symbol of their cultural heritage, are rocking the Jewish Star. Considering that we were made to do so during the Holocaust—the last major attempt to exterminate our people before current events transpired—so that our tormentors could easily identify us, this may seem odd to some. But I feel closer than ever to my fellow Jews, because it truly seems like we only have each other. I am proud to be Jewish; I will not be afraid, or ashamed. Despite what some may think, or say (or protest), I know what we stand for: peace, love, unity, acceptance, diversity—life. We champion these things; indeed, I have championed all of these things, including many minority and underserved groups, in the pages of VITA over the years. And now, our actions are solely meant to defend these ideals, no matter what the (highly misinformed) global perception may be; the alternative is terrorism, hatred and oppression. This is what it means to be Jewish, and here are 10 beautiful Jewish Star necklaces that symbolize just that. —Noa Nichol