Shards of Hope

It was another regular day at my studio when a beautiful woman named Mirit walked in, holding a small plastic box with a red lid. Something about her expression and the solemn air surrounding her made me feel something special and moving was hidden inside that box.

A momentary hush of anticipation hung in the air as she placed the box on the table. Slowly, she removed the red lid, revealing two tiny black shards inside - shards that had been extracted from the body of her son, Idan, a young soldier who was severely wounded in battle.

Mirit's eyes filled with tears as she recounted Idan's poignant story. On the night of October 7th, Idan Alkabetz, a 20-year-old tank driver from the 53rd Battalion of the Armored Corps, was stationed in Hebron, guarding its residents. With the outbreak of a surprise attack, his battalion was immediately dispatched to the Gaza border area, awaiting a ground incursion.

A charming young man, Idan, charged into battle with his comrades on the first day, facing the unknown horrors that awaited them. He fought with courage and bravery for two consecutive weeks until his tang was directly hit by an RPG  rocket, striking him. Idan was wounded by shrapnel in several parts of his body and was evacuated by a Golani Brigade tank to the coast, then airlifted to Ichilov Hospital.

Mirit requested that I design a unique pendant for Idan, incorporating one of the shards from his body, so he could wear it as a memento of his bravery and the harrowing experience he endured. She wanted me to embed the shard in the pendant as a symbol of his courage and her hope for his continued recovery.

Creating this pendant was a profoundly moving experience for me. The pendant symbolizes Idan's valor, Mirit's hope for her son's healing, and the unbreakable bond between a mother and her child. Since that day, Idan has never removed the unique pendant from around his neck.