Hostages Square · New York City Hall · United Nations
The Menorah of Hope
A monument of light, forged from war.
“A menorah built from the weapons fired at us.”
In December 2024, a menorah nearly two meters tall and half a ton in weight, built from missile fragments and Iron Dome interceptor debris, was raised in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. It has since been seen by hundreds of thousands of visitors in the square and tens of millions more through media and social networks, documented on its own Wikipedia page displayed beside it, and sent on a diplomatic mission to New York, where it was lit at New York City Hall and outside the United Nations. This is the piece that changed the course of my life, and the reason ARTillery exists.
A monument of light, forged from war
The Menorah of Hope is built from fragments of missiles fired at Israel from Iran, Gaza and Lebanon, none of which caused casualties, alongside components of Iron Dome interceptors. The material was designed to kill. Here it is given a second life: not a weapon meant to extinguish, but a structure devoted to light, faith and continuity.
During Hanukkah 5785, thousands of visitors tied yellow ribbons around its branches, a gesture of solidarity and prayer for the hostages' return. Candle lighting ceremonies were held around it with public figures, hostage families, wounded soldiers and the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Kalman Ber. It became a pilgrimage site, one of the most recognizable symbols of Hostages Square and of the spirit that carried the country through one of its hardest years. White ribbons were added later, one for every hostage who came home alive.
For many visitors, the Menorah of Hope became a place where confronting loss could sit alongside an insistence on light.
From a childhood in Jerusalem to Hostages Square
I was born in Jerusalem, one of seventeen children in a Hasidic family, and grew up in a world shaped by memory, ritual and communal responsibility. Adult life took me into the tech industry, seven years of it, until the war changed everything.
During more than 600 days of reserve duty in a technological unit of the Israeli Air Force, I handled missile fragments and interceptor debris most people only see on the news. Where others saw scrap metal, I recognized material that already carried a story. That recognition became the foundation of my practice: fusing the materials of a very present conflict with the oldest symbols of my people, so the two histories can speak to each other.
The Menorah of Hope was the piece that made that practice public. I left the tech world behind, and founded the ARTillery studio in south Tel Aviv.
Documented public history
December 2024
Unveiled at Hostages Square, Tel Aviv, built from missile fragments fired from Iran, Gaza and Lebanon that caused no casualties, together with Iron Dome interceptor components.
Hanukkah 5785
Thousands of yellow ribbons tied to its branches by visitors praying for the hostages' return. Candle lighting ceremonies held with public figures, hostage families, wounded soldiers and the Chief Rabbi of Israel.
Through 2025
Remained in Hostages Square as a pilgrimage site, present at major public events. White ribbons added for every hostage who came home alive. Seen by hundreds of thousands in person and tens of millions through media and social networks, its own Wikipedia entry displayed beside it in the square.
December 2025
Sent to the United States via diplomatic mail, with the support of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its embassy, for a tour of Jewish communities across New York.
New York City Hall
Lit by outgoing Mayor Eric Adams at an official ceremony inside the New York City Hall building.
United Nations Headquarters
Lit by Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, together with Shira Gvili, sister of Ran Gvili, the last hostage still held by Hamas, in a public prayer for his return.
Across New York
Further lightings at Tribeca Synagogue in Manhattan, in the city's Syrian Jewish community, in Borough Park and in Crown Heights.
Why this piece matters
- Material origin
- Every fragment ties the work to a real, documented moment, not a symbolic reference.
- Public presence
- Ceremonies and daily visits at Hostages Square built lived experience into the object itself.
- Diplomatic circulation
- Sent through official channels and lit by a sitting mayor and an ambassador, it entered international civic life.
- Media reach
- Seen by tens of millions through news coverage and social media, far beyond anyone who stood in front of it.
In the square, and beyond
As documented
Independent coverage and the public record, in Hebrew and in English.
Official record
News coverage
Back to the Origins: An Iranian Missile Turned into a Hanukkiah and a Rocket from Gaza Became a Mezuzah
From Darkness to Light: Menorah Made of Missile Fragments Displayed in Hostages Square
Watch: A Hanukkiah Made from Missile Fragments Was Lit in Hostages Square
Outgoing NYC Mayor Eric Adams Lights Stunning "Menorah of Hope" at City Hall
Menorah Made of Missile Fragments from Israel's Enemies Displayed at Tel Aviv's Hostages Square
Take part in the story
Every piece in the studio, from a pendant to a mezuzah, is cut from the same material and carries the same story: not a product of war, but a story of hope. When you choose one, you take part in it too.
Israel Pendant # 3002
AvailableThe map of Israel, created from real interceptor shrapnel, so you can carry it close.
₪490
Missile Shrapnel Mezuzah # 2001
AvailableA mezuzah for your home, built by hand from real missile shrapnel.
₪1,800
Missile Shrapnel Mezuzah # 2007
AvailableA mezuzah for your home, built by hand from real missile shrapnel.
₪1,600
Representing a Jewish community or institution interested in hosting the Menorah of Hope?
Get in touch or visit its official exhibition page Exhibition 1956