Jerusalem remembers: Art by Hamas hostages and October 7 victims sold at memorial fair

Residents of Jerusalem gathered on Friday for a unique memorial event – an art and secondhand sale hosted by families of hostages who are still being held in Hamas captivity and family members of those killed in the October 7 massacre or the ensuing war.

The art up for sale was created by victims, family members of those killed, and the hostages themselves.

To someone just passing by, the event may have appeared to be just another sunny Friday art fair. However, those who paid close attention could hear lyrics in the poppy background music about the hostages or catch a person manning a booth telling a prospective customer the story of their fallen loved one, whose art was for sale.

Bring them home

Attendees looking closely at the sellers’ faces may have also recognized the family members of hostages, many of whom have become household names as they make public appearance after public appearance in an attempt to keep the public’s attention on their family members in order to create pressure to bring their loved ones home.

Among the crafts for sale were shirts featuring drawings by Eden Ben Rubi, who was murdered on October 7 after fleeing the Nova music festival. Eden was known in Israel’s surfing community for drawing on surfboards, and surf company Billabong partnered with her family to create a line of clothing featuring her art.

One of Ben Rubi’s dreams was to show her art in a New York gallery, said her aunt Michal, who was manning the booth in her honor at the fair. Ben Rubi’s mother flew to New York to make this dream a reality after she was killed, and the family continues to look for ways to spread her light and infectious personality, the aunt said.

Ben Rubi’s parents’ house was the center of her friend group’s activity, and they continue to gather there regularly, said Michal, explaining that it feels like the shiva mourning period for her thereby has continued.

You can see more of Ben Rubi’s work on Instagram.

Ophra Eyal, the illustrator of Yarena, a children’s book written by slain hostage Chaim Peri, sold copies of the book at another booth. Eyal used to show her work at a gallery run by Peri, and he gave her the text to illustrate around two years ago, she said.

Eyal had a hard time getting started on the illustrations and in her last conversation with Peri just before the holidays, he told her that he would love to get the illustrations as an 80th birthday gift in April. Soon after they spoke, Peri was taken hostage.

Eyal began work on the book’s illustrations after Peri was taken and on his 80th birthday, boxes of the completed work were sent to his wife.

On the last page of the book, next to an image of Peri smoking a pipe and fixing a clock, a short text explains that Peri was kidnapped and wishes for his swift return and for him to be able to hold the book in his own two hands.

In early June, Peri’s family was told by the IDF that he had been killed in captivity.

Another booth was manned by family members of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old from Jerusalem who is still being held hostage in Hamas captivity. A video of him still alive was released by the terrorist organization in April, and a previously unreleased video of Goldberg-Polin’s abduction was published last week. 

A booth in memory of Sgt. Amir Lavi could also be found at the event. He was a soldier who was stationed near the Gaza border and fell in battle on October 7. Lavi was an artist and illustrator and shirts with his drawings were sold at the fair.

Another stand in memory of Aner Elyakim Shapira featured many drawings created by the young artist, who was killed on October 7. After fleeing the massacre at the Nova party, he heroically caught and threw eight grenades thrown by Hamas terrorists back out of the small shelter that he was hiding in with dozens of others.

A sign at the booth in his honor explained that his loved ones wanted Shapira, who, among other things, was a musician, rapper, and activist, to also be remembered as an artist.

Eyal Chazor, an art student and the brother of 22-year-old Sgt.-First Class Jonathan Chazor, a soldier in the Shaldag Unit who was killed in clashes in Gaza in November, sold his art at the fair. Drawing together was a big part of the brothers’ relationship, Eyal explained.

One print for sale showed a desert scene with a lone backpacker sitting on a cliff. It was a piece that Eyal made for Chazor in honor of him finishing his IDF training, and Eyal remembers Jonathan hanging it in his room.

Eyal was also selling a print of a swallow flying over a field. It was painted after his brother was killed. The swallow is a sign that Eyal said is associated with his brother and the painting was meant to signify hope and light.

You can find more of Eyal Chazor’s work on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/eyal_chazor/