Jewish Diaspora - Blog Posts
Flag for the Jewish Diaspora — 2025
Disclaimer: This flag is not meant to be provocative or as a partisan statement on the current situation in Palestine-Israel or the activism that surrounds it. I made this flag for a much more personal reason, that being that I do not feel that the flag of Israel adequately represents me as a Jew. As much as I appreciate the idea of the flag being viewed by some as a "Flag for the Jews" I personally look at the Israeli flag as just that, a flag for the state of Israel.
I was born in Canada and have lived here all my life. I'm very happy with my life in Canada and with Canadian culture. But Israel, from what l've seen and heard, is a completely foreign land to me, both culturally and politically, I understand that the land itself is very culturally significant to the Jewish people, and I very much respect that, but even then, I feel a much more spiritual connection to the biblical Israel of ancient times than I do of the modern state. And finally, the political climate of the state of Israel has made its flag a most contentious symbol, and the harsh politicization of its image is unfortunately too much of a factor in its usage for me to feel comfortable calling it my own.
In short: The flag of Israel carries far too much baggage, both culturally and politically, for me to want to adopt it as a flag for myself being a Jew who is comfortable where she is. I don't feel that it adequately represents my identity, it is almost completely foreign to me, I've seen some Jews that feel the same way as me, and so that is the reason why l've created this Diaspora Flag.
Description: The flag features four colours, red, yellow, green, and dark blue. In the foreground of the flag is its centrepiece, the blade of a plowshare with the ten commandments sitting behind it, on the commandments are the first ten letters of the Hebrew Alef-Bet.
The design of the centrepiece is lifted from the historical diaspora movement "Am Olam" who's representative symbol was that of a plow and the ten commandments. The plow in this context represents the desire to build a safe and prosperous Jewish home in the diaspora, while the ten commandments represent the Jewish people as well as our Torah, which is the founding document and core of our people and our tradition.
The flag's background depicts a green field and a red sky with seven beams of yellow sunlight emitting from behind the centrepiece.
The green represents the hope that the lands we inhabit will be rich and providing for everyone, and the red sky represents dawn, in the hope that one day the sun may rise on a land where all people are equal and no one is subjugated or pushed out for their race, ethnicity, religion, etc. the seven beams of the sun also represent the seven branches of the Temple Menorah, which is a nod to Jerusalem, a place that still holds a major significance to the Jewish people and our tradition. No matter where we now choose to live, we shall always remember and hold with reverence the land from which our tradition came.
since we now know that all those "my blog is safe for Jewish people" posts are bullshit, here are some Jewish organizations you can donate to if you actually want to prove you support Jews. put up or shut up
FIGHTING HUNGER
Masbia - Kosher soup kitchens in New York
MAZON - Practices and promotes a multifaceted approach to hunger relief, recognizing the importance of responding to hungry peoples' immediate need for nutrition and sustenance while also working to advance long-term solutions
Tomchei Shabbos - Provides food and other supplies so that poor Jews can celebrate the Sabbath and the Jewish holidays
FINANCIAL AID
Ahavas Yisrael - Providing aid for low-income Jews in Baltimore
Hebrew Free Loan Society - Provides interest-free loans to low-income Jews in New York and more
GLOBAL AID
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee - Offers aid to Jewish populations in Central and Eastern Europe as well as in the Middle East through a network of social and community assistance programs. In addition, the JDC contributes millions of dollars in disaster relief and development assistance to non-Jewish communities
American Jewish World Service - Fighting poverty and advancing human rights around the world
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society - Providing aid to immigrants and refugees around the world
Jewish World Watch - Dedicated to fighting genocides around the world
MEDICAL AID
Sharsheret - Support for cancer patients, especially breast cancer
SOCIAL SERVICES
The Aleph Institute - Provides support and supplies for Jews in prison and their families, and helps Jewish convicts reintegrate into society
Bet Tzedek - Free legal services in LA
Bikur Cholim - Providing support including kosher food for Jews who have been hospitalized in the US, Australia, Canada, Brazil, and Israel
Blue Card Fund - Critical aid for holocaust survivors
Chai Lifeline - An org that's very close to my heart. They help families with members with disabilities in Baltimore
Chana - Support network for Jews in Baltimore facing domestic violence, sexual abuse, and elder abuse
Community Alliance for Jewish-Affiliated Cemetaries - Care of abandoned and at-risk Jewish cemetaries
Crown Heights Central Jewish Community Council - Provides services to community residents including assistance to the elderly, housing, employment and job training, youth services, and a food bank
Hands On Tzedakah - Supports essential safety-net programs addressing hunger, poverty, health care and disaster relief, as well as scholarship support to students in need
Hebrew Free Burial Association
Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services - Programs include early childhood and learning, children and adolescent services, mental health outpatient clinics for teenagers, people living with developmental disabilities, adults living with mental illness, domestic violence and preventive services, housing, Jewish community services, counseling, volunteering, and professional and leadership development
Jewish Caring Network - Providing aid for families facing serious illnesses
Jewish Family Service - Food security, housing stability, mental health counseling, aging care, employment support, refugee resettlement, chaplaincy, and disability services
Jewish Relief Agency - Serving low-income families in Philadelphia
Jewish Social Services Agency - Supporting people’s mental health, helping people with disabilities find meaningful jobs, caring for older adults so they can safely age at home, and offering dignity and comfort to hospice patients
Jewish Women's Foundation Metropolitan Chicago - Aiding Jewish women in Chicago
Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty - Crisis intervention and family violence services, housing development funds, food programs, career services, and home services
Misaskim - Jewish death and burial services
Our Place - Mentoring troubled Jewish adolescents and to bring awareness of substance abuse to teens and children
Tiferes Golda - Special education for Jewish girls in Baltimore
Yachad - Support for Jews with disabilities