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I am not Jewish, although I come from a Jewish heritage. My great-grandmother was Jewish. I have, since childhood, found the religion fascinating, even though my belief in Jesus has firmly placed me in the Christian camp.

However; I recently purchased a Star of David that has a cross in it, which I love because to me it represents my Jewish heritage and my Christian religion. It has led to interesting questions and, because the cross is small, assumptions that I am Jewish.

I just wonder if a Jewish person would find it offensive and if I would be offending someone by wearing it?

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Welcome to the Site and thanks for asking your question. – avi Jan 12 '12 at 16:39
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Hello DataGirl, and welcome to Judaism.SE and thank you for asking your question here! To clarify what Gershon said, Judaism is passed on through the mother, and according to Jewish law, one is Jewish even if they don't practice, believe, or even know. Hence, if your mother's mother's mother was Jewish, then you are too. – HodofHod Jan 12 '12 at 17:13
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It is my mother's grandmother, but on her father's side, so the line ends with him, right? – DataGirl Jan 12 '12 at 18:00
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Yes, it ends with him. – Seth J Jan 12 '12 at 18:11
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I'm an Oriental Orthodox Christian. The crossed star symbolizes the 2 testaments which we treat as equally important. It has also been a symbol of the Solomonic Dynasty of Ethiopia; many wear it to show their loyalty towards that Ancient Line of Emperors. I have never heard of these "Messianics" & I imagine this is something unique in the U.S. But the Crossed Star has been used in Ethiopia for hundreds of years. You will find this symbol on hundreds of Oriental Orthodox Churches & almost everywhere in Ethiopia. – Tewahedo Feb 15 at 14:26
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4 Answers

up vote 9 down vote accepted

Assuming it was your father's Mother's Mother or some combination thereof who was Jewish, then it might be best for you to find a Large cross with a small Jewish star. The Jewelry you currently have has strong associations with "Messianic Jews", or "Jews for Jesus", both groups which are roundly rejected by Jewish groups as being either an oximoron or deceptive.

If you do identify with that Christian group however, then perhaps the jewelry is acceptable. However it would be offensive to Jewish persons.

Something like this or this, might seem less offensive and cause less confusion, or even something a bit more artistic like this.

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I can say that I do not associate nor identify with the Jews for Jesus. And, thanks for the pictures. The first one is what I had in mind, but I couldn't find one. This is going to sound strange, but the whole Jewish side of my family was downplayed when I was growing up and I believe that because of my great-grandmother and her parents, I'm the person I am today (based on things I've learned about them and their personalities). I want to honor them in some way and that's why I like the combination of cross and Star of David. – DataGirl Jan 12 '12 at 18:03
@DataGirl That is very admirable. When I was searching on the net for a picture I had a hard time finding something fitting. I wish you luck in your search. – avi Jan 12 '12 at 19:11
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That last one doesn't look appropriate to me: it has an ankh, and a ying/yang symbol, and I think a crescent, and an om, and perhaps a couple of others. It seems to be a general religious symbology smörgåsbord. – TRiG Jun 6 '12 at 20:20
up vote 8 down vote

I would suggest that it probably reflects the beliefs of some messianic Christians who call themselves Jews (and some who are technically Jewish by the Jewish standard of matrilineal descent), and I would interpret it to mean that you are of that ilk. Many Jews (and I count myself among them) do not have any nice thoughts towards these groups, to put it mildly. If you feel it reflects something different for you, you might wear it under your clothing, but I would not recommend wearing it around Jewish colleagues or co-workers. Especially the latter, as it may be perceived, especially if you engage in religious discussion or declaration of faith, as contributing towards a hostile work environment (in violation of Title VII - see example 18, if you live/work in the U.S.).

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up vote 6 down vote

I can speak for myself. I am not offended by a Christian that wears a cross. However it bothers me when a Jew wears a cross, especially if he/she does not realize they are Jewish.

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I'm curious and I'm not sure if this belongs here, but why are you bothered if someone doesn't know they're Jewish and they wear a cross? – DataGirl Jan 12 '12 at 19:07
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It bothers me - as I feel bad that they have never had an opportunity to know their true heritage - and not only do they not know their heritage they are unfortunately entwined elsewhere. – Gershon Gold Jan 12 '12 at 19:11
That makes sense. And, I believe you're right. I definitely believe that I've missed out on something by not knowing the Jewish side of my family. And, since I began my search, I believe I have gained so much with my association with my Jewish cousins. – DataGirl Jan 12 '12 at 19:39
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I understand being upset if someone doesn't know their heritage, but why on earth would it make any difference if that person wore a cross or not? – DJClayworth Jan 12 '12 at 21:50
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Everyone should wear what they want be it a cross or star of david and if they want to wear a star with a cross that is their right. For someone to have bad feelings or be annoyed by someone doing this that is their problem. Live and let live. I am Jewish and have not felt any acceptance in the Temples I have visited, yet I do feel accepted in a little Church I have been going to. Why can't people just let everyone do what they want and stop dissing them for what they believe.

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The OP it seems actually cared about what other's think, and didn't want to offend anyone. You, it seems, have no such inclination. That doesn't mean you should complain about the OP's beliefs. – Double AA♦ Jan 7 at 17:04
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While you have a valid point, that if someone chooses to wear a piece of jewelry it generally ought not to be of any concern to anyone else, this does not answer the question being asked. The OP clearly wants to know - from the perspective of active Jews - whether such a piece of jewelry would offend. Clearly it would not offend you as much as the underlying assumption (that others might be offended) would. Point taken. – Seth J Jan 7 at 17:10

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