Hidden Star of David: one writer’s journey through Jewish identity, antisemitism and belonging

A Star of David tucked away in a pocket at Istanbul airport. A Jewish community being painstakingly rebuilt in Moldova. These two moments bookend a deeply personal exploration of what it means to be Jewish in today’s Europe—and when, exactly, to hide or proclaim that identity.

Josh Aronson’s reflections begin with a jarring encounter at Istanbul’s airport, where he instinctively concealed the Jewish symbol he wore openly elsewhere. The incident raises uncomfortable questions about safety, visibility and the calculations that Jewish travellers in certain parts of Europe feel compelled to make. It’s a moment that many in the diaspora will recognise: the split-second decision about whether wearing a kippah or displaying a Star of David is an act of pride or an unnecessary risk.

But the narrative takes a turn towards hope when Aronson shifts his focus to Moldova, where a Jewish community devastated by the Holocaust and Soviet suppression is experiencing a genuine revival. There, amid efforts to rebuild cultural institutions, preserve memory and reconnect with heritage, he discovers something unexpected: a community reclaiming not just its past, but its agency and strength. The Moldovan Jewish community’s resilience offers a counterweight to the anxieties that prompted that moment of concealment in Istanbul.

Through these parallel stories—one about the instinct to hide, the other about the courage to rebuild—Aronson grapples with fundamental questions about Zionism, belonging and Jewish identity in the modern diaspora. The piece suggests that sometimes it’s communities themselves, not individuals acting alone, that restore the power to continue.

Source: Maariv — Original article in Hebrew.