Gravestone symbols · card S

Star of David

A Star of David, the six-pointed star, on a gravestone marks a Jewish burial; it is the most common symbol on modern Jewish graves.

The star is made of two triangles and is called Magen David, shield of David. It came into wide use as the symbol of Judaism around the beginning of the 20th century, and it is now the most common image on Jewish graves.

After World War I the Star of David became one of the first two religious emblems allowed on government veterans' headstones, beside the Latin cross. In a military cemetery it may be the only visible sign that the soldier was Jewish.

As seen in a recordJewish cemetery or veterans' section, 1900 to 1960
Star of David above Hebrew and English lines: Pvt. Morris Feldblum, 307 Inf., 77 Div., died Oct. 4, 1918
How to cite this page

Daily Ancestor. "Star of David." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/gravestone-symbols/star-of-david. Last checked 2026-10-15.

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