Until the Holocaust, the six-pointed star had only positive connotations in Jewish tradition. It was used as a symbol of communal identity, a protective device in amulets, or a Zionist emblem. After the German occupation of Poland in 1939, the Nazis forced Jews to wear a yellow star as an identifying badge, often inscribed with the word “Jew.” The lettering, seen here in French, was meant to resemble Hebrew. This measure deliberately turned a symbol of Jewish pride into an emblem of discrimination that singled out Jews, restricted their movements, and marked them as prey. Concealing the badge was an offense punishable by deportation to a concentration camp.