Showing their support for Israel, two sisters raised over $1,000 for LIBI USA by wearing jewellery. And that is just the beginning. The younger of the two, Pnina Abramov, who hails from Queens, New York, recounted how the whole story began in an interview with Breaking Israel News.
The Abramov family travelled to Israel over the summer and came under attack during Operation Protective Edge while vacationing in the central Israeli city of Netanya. Pnina recounted the stress and emotional trauma of hearing air raid sirens go off during their visit.
“I was swimming in the Mediterranean when the siren went off, and it really scared us. We had thought that the missiles couldn’t reach us this far from the Gaza Strip, but we were wrong. That experience is what really began the journey of our fundraising efforts”.
Abramov later returned to the US with her family and was affected by the strong sense of culture shock that she received upon seeing friends and acquaintances carrying on with their daily lives.
“I wanted to find a way that I could do something, that I could make a difference and help out,” she said. Through a confluence of inspirational moments and situations the idea was born to create necklaces that read (in Hebrew) “The Nation of Israel Lives”.
Another situation that inspired Pnina was, as she stated, the fact that; “Friends of mine have come across a lot of anti-Semitic hate speech and sentiment on their campuses, and often people are afraid to speak out.”
“Wearing a necklace in Hebrew allows others know that I am a Jewish person and I am not afraid to be who I am. It gives young people a way to express their zionism and connection to the land of Israel and to each other,” Abramov explained.
Abramov, who firmly believes that no one should be afraid to express their support for Israel or their Jewishness, felt that having wearing a visible symbol of support for Israel not only shows one’s pride, but can also open doors and allow others to feel that it is okay to express their feelings, even if it is against an anti-Israel consensus.
“People will point at my necklace and ask me, ‘Hey what’s that?’ and I tell them. It is a way to open up a dialogue with someone, and can unite Jews or supporters of Israel.”
While the idea of supporting Israel came from the family’s experience over the summer, and the need to speak up came from instances where she and her friends confronted anti-Semitism on campus, the unifying factor came from Abramov’s father’s business, Kraftshop, where he works as an independent Jeweler.
“We created the necklace as my birthday gift and then the idea snowballed from there,” she explained.
Part of the proceeds of each necklace, which are now being marketed to the public, go to LIBI USA to help raise money for the medical program the IDF.
“In this time of struggle and distress, we strive to make an impact from outside of Israel, and this is one way we can do it,” Abramov said.
“The phrase on the necklace,” which has been a refrain used in Judaism for hundreds of years, “means a lot to me and my family, and to many other supporters of Israel around the world,” said Abramov.
Unlike other items which display brand names, team or school affiliations, “these necklaces will demonstrate your support as you wear it and financially help Israel as well.” For each necklace or bracelet bought, $18.00 will be donated to LIBI USA.
The necklaces come in a variety of sizes in either real silver or gold plated.
The necklaces met with immediate success. They were purchased by friends and extended family, and quickly thereafter were purchased en masse by schools and groups of college students. Orders came in from as far away as London.
Due to their success of the necklaces, a new line of matching bracelets has been contrived. This was a challenge as the words on the bracelet cover the wrist and needed to be curved to fit the wrist comfortably. The chains also come in a variety of lengths to ensure maximum comfortability.
“Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, unaffiliated – it doesn’t matter your background. Israel is something that connects all of us, and that all of us can connect with, so why not support it and be proud of it,” Abramov said.
Orders and more information can be found at:
http://www.123contactform.com/form-1083133/Am-Yisrael-Chai-Necklace-Form
This is the Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/Jewelry4Israel
