The Akim Safed Hostel is a home for people with mental disabilities. This is a population group that is most sensitive to the drastic changes that have taken place in the reality of life in the State of Israel over the past year.
On Saturday, the holiday of Sukkot, October 7, 2023, the “Iron Swords” war began. A shutdown immediately began and friends did not go to work. Despite all the chaos outside, a routine had to be created. From this, the leisure courses partially continued, including a painting course, and after reading the “call” of the Lotem association “Gesher Laksheer”, we wanted to join the action and be partners of the project.
And these are the members who took part in the project and whose paintings are presented in the exhibition:
Yaakov Yuri – has been painting for many years. Loves work and regularly works at Agam Chai Yaraon, which was closed due to the war. The war struck him with his only sister, who lived in the south within firing range, his sister is his guardian. Jacob stopped working, and his plan went completely wrong. The painting allowed him to express his feelings and put order in the reality around him. His painting is expressed in patterns, bright colors and square shapes. Jacob’s painting, presented at the exhibition, reflects the private and national chaos caused by the war and calls for the return of the abducted to their homes.
Sergey Melnik – worked in the free market at the Galileon Hotel, after October 7, he stopped working for a year due to the closure of the Range Hotel. The change brought about by the war turned his world upside down, but thanks to painting, Sergei developed additional skills that were expressed in works with rhymes. Sergey is creative and fundamental, creation has become his whole world. One of his moving paintings is the return home of Bella, who was abducted to the Gaza Strip with her dog. The painting that had the honor of being shown in the exhibition is about the return home of the abductee Adina Moshe, whose husband was murdered in front of her eyes and his body taken by Hamas to the Gaza Strip.
Ravita Yom Tov – a key worker in the restoration. Since the beginning of the war, she had to come to work while all her friends were quarantined at home. As part of her job, she irons uniforms for the security forces and is still a partner in the war effort. Her paintings included war themes, for example, the funeral of a soldier. The painting shown in the exhibition depicts the funeral of a soldier of the Nahal Brigade, the late Daniel Levy, who is accompanied by his friends to his final resting place.
