Tikvah
Editors’ Pick

November 23, 2021

Why Louis Armstrong Wore a Star of David

“It was the Jewish family who instilled in me singing from the heart.”

If you look carefully at pictures of the renowned jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong, you will sometimes see a Star of David hanging from his neck. Greg Thomas explains that the necklace was an expression of gratitude to the Jewish family that gave him a job when he was a boy, and often welcomed him into their home. One family member even advanced him money to buy a cornet. As an adult, Armstrong explained that “it was the Jewish family who instilled in me singing from the heart. They encouraged me to carry on.”

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