Galvanising the Jewish world through art

While many people have taken to the written word to express themselves, artists throughout Israel have been taking to the streets – literally – to share their thoughts and feelings. For Elinoy Kisslove, co-founder of Grafitiyul, the graffiti art that the group is producing is providing comfort and lifting the country up by painting the heroes and the good stories that have come out of October 7. Elinoy explained that at first the group was very angry and their graffiti reflected this. But after a little while, someone suggested creating artwork that would lift the atmosphere. While she couldn’t think of anything optimistic at the time, her friend suggested painting Rachel Edry, the Ofakim resident who convinced five terrorists to come inside her house while waiting for a SWAT team to save her and her husband. As documented on Times of Israel, during the 15 hours that they were inside her home, Rachel “served the terrorist treats, joked with them in rudimentary Arabic and even sang with them”. This saved the couple’s life, and indeed many other lives around them. Rachel Edry. Photo: Instagram @grafitiyul “We painted her as a superhero,” Elinoy explained over WhatsApp from Israel. “That was amazing...