American Jews, still recovering from the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, are displaying their pride on their necks and fingers.
Many Jews who had previously been silent about their religion now feel they must flaunt jewelry featuring the Star of David, “chai,” the Hebrew word for “life,” and the phrase “bring them home.”
In the wake of the Hamas attacks, “I felt like I had to show people who I was because it wasn’t so obvious,” said Monica Hopenwasser, 52, an art educator in Los Angeles. Ms. Hopenwasser’s grandparents were Holocaust survivors. She bought a “Chai” necklace after Oct. 7 and wears two Star of David bracelets made with beads made by her sister.
“In these scary times, it’s important to me to wear it and show my Jewish identity,” she said.
The rabbi’s wife, Dora, who works in education in Manhattan, has worn a silver six-pointed star necklace since the massacre.
“I’m part of a community that is saddened and angry and rightfully angry about what happened,” said Dora, 42, who asked that her surname not be used.
Danielle Laurie Rothstein, marketing director at Bareket Fine Jewelry, said her company’s sales of Jewish jewelry increased a staggering 450% in the two months since Oct. 7 compared to the same period last year.
Although sales slowed after the holiday season, the company still expects to see a 50% year-over-year increase in 2024.
Lachie Shnei, who runs a Jewish jewelry brand called The Mazel Collection, said she has also seen a surge in sales since October 7.
“Everyone wants to be loud and proud,” Schnei said, “and many people who have never thought about wearing a Jewish star feel a strong urge to wear it all the time.”
Prior to Oct. 7, the Manhattan therapist, 51, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said she was “confident” in her Judaism and didn’t feel the need to go public with it. “Right now, I feel like I need to be proud of my Judaism,” she said. She wears a necklace with a pendant in the shape of Israel and a Star of David on her ring.
Still, rising anti-Semitism in New York has some hiding their religious pride: A new survey found that nearly half of Jewish respondents said they felt the city was unsafe for them.
