Israeli artist Tomer Peretz was in Tel Aviv on October 7, 2023, and he volunteered with Israel’s frontline disaster response unit to recover the bodies of victims of the Hamas brutal and inhumane terror attack on that day. The horrific scenes he bore witness to there affected him profoundly, and he sought comfort in creating art with others impacted by the massive trauma–soldiers, former hostages, bereaved children, and other survivors. Recognizing the healing power of creative expression, Peretz founded “The 8 Project” to process suffering and support healing.

The project’s name reflects the number 8’s universal symbolism of renewal and spiritual rebuilding.

My family and I attended the showing (my daughter in-law Marina was a consultant on the exhibition) with a packed gallery of Los Angeles Jewry at LA’s Museum of Tolerance last evening. For those living in Los Angeles, I urge you to visit the exhibition. It is powerful and moving, evoking the tragedy and trauma inflicted upon Israelis on that day, as well as hope symbolized by the number “8” and the hummingbirds.

The photograph above is of the artist, Tomer Peretz, and a few of his paintings are below – a small child on one of the settlements that were attacked by Hamas terrorists, an image of tribute to Israeli paratroopers, to Zaka (the organization that collects body parts after the terrorist explosions, and hummingbirds feeding through the bullet holes of one of the Israeli southern settlements that was attacked and destroyed on October 7.