Page 26 - TORCH Magazine #30 - Spring 2026

The Star of David
Necklace
Many people may not realise
that Louis Armstrong wore a
Star of David necklace every
day for decades. Louis often
wore this necklace alongside a
Cross necklace, representing the
beautiful Jewish and Christian
bond he had experience
firsthand.
He was gifted the necklace by
his long-time manager, Joe Glaser,
who, as we said earlier,
was Jewish. He was
also a gangster
in Chicago and
became Louis’
manager in
1935. Joe died
in 1969, two
years before
Louis, and
Louis grieved
terribly for his
old friend. Joe
was a frequent
presence on many
of the tape boxes
Louis made. In 1970, Louis
put Glaser’s photo in one of
his scrapbooks and added a handwritten
annotation “The Greatest” and “My
Manager and Best Friend.”
Even though he left New Orleans as a
young man, Louis never lost touch with
his “Jewish family”. Every time he returned
to the city, he visited the Karnofsky’s,
and family members attended his shows
wherever they could. He even recorded his
own version of ‘Russian Lullaby’ as a tribute
to them.
Louis also continued to love Jewish
food throughout his lifetime. We said we
would reveal his favourite which might
surprise you. It was matzah!
Throughout his life, he regularly ate
matzah as one of his favourite snacks.
The dry cracker-like unleavened bread
that is usually reserved for Passover was
26
something Louis enjoyed all year round.
“My wife Lucille keeps them in her bread
box so I can nibble on them any time that I
want to eat late at night,” he once said.
We all have comfort foods that some
might consider unusual, but we can
imagine that part of eating matzah for
Louis included that nostalgic feeling of
his second home with the Karnofsky’s.
“They were always warm and kind to me,
just a kid who could use a little word of
kindness.”
It might not surprise you to know that
Louis Armstrong wore that Star of David
necklace for most of his adult life, right
until the day he died on 6 July 1971.
Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong lived up to
the words he wrote in his memoir. “I will
love the Jewish people, all of my life.”
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