Rakefet: Israeli Grey & White Shells Layers

This is a handmade creation of two beaded necklaces with Israeli shells picked up in Tel Aviv, Amethyst and white gemstone beads, glass Hematite styled beaded necklaces, and fitted with my handmade Sapphire beaded Magen David earrings, necklaces created by Rakefet, Israeli Jewish artist and survivor.

This is the story of my Jewish mother, Rakefet, a survivor of the October 7th Massacre from on the Southern Kibuttzim. Today is her birthday! She is a 64 years old Israeli Jew, daughter of parents who escaped the Farhud in Iraq.

My mom, shaking on the phone, had been speaking to me throughout the days of October 7th and October 8th, until the IDF finally arrived for the rescue. Those days traumatised her, and she had been struggling since. I had been back and forth between living with her and living in the UK at the time, was just looking at flights for that day in the days leading into it, but something just felt like I shouldn't fly it, it was hard to explain that feeling but I now I know what that intuition was. I've come to Israel soon after. On that day she kept saying "everything is ok don't worry", even at her most fearful, she thought of my own mental health and tried to calm me down. But I knew from her voice that nothing was okay at all.

On October 7th, Hamas terrorists tried to infiltrate their Kibbutz, there were gun fights for a while at the gate, my parents hearing the gun shots and bombs meters away from them, but then one Israeli man wore IDF uniform he had in his home and went out to fight Hamas and they just ran away - they thought it meant IDF was already there when they had been hours away, and the terrorists had comitted the massacre on both Kibbutzim surrounding my family's house including 14 dead at the gas station right outside of their Kibuttz.
Luckily, they were rescued, but many of our loved ones had died that day and parts of us did too, and the reality of being under thousands of rockets and left in uncertainty hearing and seeing on TV and through friends in texts the images of the massacre, videos of rapes and all forms of unimaginable brutality happening minutes away from them, had left a mark of PTSD on her. Now every ambulance, kite, missile alarm or thought of war make her respond with deep anxiety and survial responses.

But, my mother is capable of healing. She has this trait of wonder, of finding hope in impossible situations and creating poetry out of it. I'm working on translating her Hebrew poems to English, but also I thought, if jewellery making is so therapeutic for me, maybe that could help her heal as well? The act of beading and designing is a beautiful mix of unique creativity and self expression at one part, followed by a repetitive meditative part in every necklace, so I gave her many of my materials (I have an active small business) and taught her how to bead. My father, who teaches architecture and design, supports her and teaches her how to do aesthetic and beautiful designs in harmony.

I thought she'll get bored of it in a a few days, but to my joy and surprise she had never stopped! For the past few months while still in temporary accommodation, unable to return to her home since the attack, she made a stock of at least 70 necklaces! And she keeps asking me, "do you really think anyone would ever find my works good enough to own? I think I would be unfathomably happy if they would." And I always say while I can't promise anything, I believe it's possible, her designs are heartfelt and so sweet and beautiful.

It's my birthday gift for her: I sent her loads of new jewellery making materials and uploaded her listings for sale for the first time!!!

I layered her necklaces and added my handmade earrings, photographed and uploaded listings. The more purchased, the happier she'll be, it's so fulfilling to create healing art and send it away to a loving home.