Rabbi Yehoshua’s Lecture Series II: Jewish Symbols Throughout the Ages. Through storytelling, history, and visual exploration, this series looks deeper into the symbols we think we know and uncovers the layered meanings they’ve carried across generations.

Not Just the Star of David — Jewish Symbols Throughout the Ages

February 15 & 22, 4 – 5:30 PM EST

Taught by Rabbi Yehoshua Soudakoff

Jewish identity has long been expressed not only through words and texts, but also through a rich and evolving visual language. This lecture series explores the deep history of Jewish symbols, beginning with ancient emblems such as the menorah, shofar, and pomegranate—motifs that appear in biblical descriptions, Second Temple artifacts, early synagogues, and everyday ritual objects. We will examine how Jews used these images to convey spirituality, communal belonging, and connection to the Land of Israel, even in times of dispersion.

But the story of Jewish symbolism does not belong to Jews alone. Over the centuries, outsiders also produced imagery to identify, label, or define Jews, for purposes that ranged from neutral to deeply harmful. We will look at how these depictions emerged, how Jewish communities responded, and how such images shaped both Jewish self-understanding and external perceptions.

A key part of the discussion will center on Jewish tradition’s ambivalent relationship with visual art. What does halacha say about the use of images? How did Jewish law navigate the line between creativity and idolatry? And how did Jewish artists, scribes, and communities find meaningful ways to create beauty within those boundaries?

The lecture series culminates in a close look at the Star of David—its surprising late emergence as a widespread Jewish emblem, its earlier mystical uses, and the historical process through which it became a global symbol of Jewish identity. By placing the Magen David within the much broader landscape of Jewish visual tradition, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how Jews have seen themselves—and been seen by others—across the centuries.

Explore the Hamsa, the Star of David, the Menorah, and more — where did they come from? What do they mean?⁠
100% ASL, created for the Deaf community.⁠
⁠Join us and start 2026 inspired. ⁠

This is a virtual learning opportunity on Zoom, offered in ASL.

Cost: $50.00 (Free for paid JDC members).