Artist Donates $18K Painting to Lev Tel Aviv Yeshiva, Bringing Hope to War-Affected Community

Ariel Babinsky, a rising name in the international art scene, donates a unique work created in response to the October 7 attack to aid a hesder yeshiva’s post-war recovery.

Mixed media, acrylic on canvas (20 x 15 cm), 2024

The artwork is based on the image of Ben Zusman, a soldier from the 601st Combat Engineering Battalion, who fell in battle in northern Gaza at the age of 22. The painting bears his final words, taken from a letter he wrote shortly before his death. In that letter, he wrote:

“I am writing this message on my way to the base. If you’re reading this, something must've happened to me. As you know me, I’m probably the happiest I’ve ever been right now. I’m so close to making my dream come true. I’m grateful and proud to have the chance to defend our beautiful country and the people of Israel. If something does happen to me, don’t let it take away your happiness. I got to fulfill my dream and my purpose, and know that I’m looking down on you all with a big smile... I’m filled with pride and a sense of mission, and I always said that if I had to die, I’d want it to be protecting others and my country. Jerusalem, I have appointed guardians, so that one day I'll be one of them.”

Lev Tel Aviv–Shir LeNeriya, a young hesder yeshiva, is located in the heart of the city, inside Tif'eret Tzvi Synagogue on Herman HaCohen Street. Its hesder programs combine Torah study and personal growth with meaningful service in elite combat units of the IDF, strengthening the students' connection to the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. These programs motivate them to act on behalf of all Israel and every Jew, wherever they may be.

The yeshiva’s story crosses social boundaries and touches the hearts of Tel Aviv’s youth, including those who are not religious. Neighborhood residents witnessed how the synagogue and the yeshiva emptied out just days after October 7, as nearly all the students and staff were summoned by the army. The yeshiva’s head, Rabbi Nir Yaakov Mass, volunteered for reserve duty and was wounded in Gaza. He then recovered and returned to fight in three more rounds.

Artist Ariel Babinsky’s encounter with the yeshiva began a few days before October 7. He recalls: “On Yom Kippur 2023 (a few days before October 7), I went to the Ne’ilah prayer at Dizengoff Square. There was a violent protest that disrupted the prayer, so I went looking for a synagogue in the area. I remembered there was one on Herman HaCohen Street, and that’s how I first came to the beit midrash. The one who met me there was Yedidya. He gave me his Yom Kippur prayer book. A few days later, on one of my late-night walks, I passed by the yeshiva and saw Dvir Nahari. We started talking and became friends, and I told him that for some time I had wanted to start putting on tefillin. He brought me tefillin a few weeks later.”

Babinsky continues, “At the yeshiva, I discovered that its students are the front line of the war. They are the ones who pay the highest price because they are the ones who volunteer to serve in the most dangerous roles. They are the ones who charge forward, the ones who risk their lives so that we can live another day in our country. They leave everything behind to fight for us, and in this way, they are the strong backbone not just for Jews in Israel, but for Jews all around the world. It's a great honor for me to take part in the yeshiva’s efforts and to donate artworks that help it recover from the damage of the war. It's an even greater honor to contribute to the soldiers who sometimes have no other home but the yeshiva, who sometimes have nowhere else to go.”

Ariel Babinsky's portraits focus on the experience of humanity. He strips away the unnecessary glamour often associated with traditional portraits, leaving the viewer with raw essence. In his works, he layers different materials - torn pages, photographs, acrylic paint, charcoal - as a metaphor for the multidimensional nature of humanity. His ability to challenge the complexity of the human experience has propelled him onto the contemporary art scene.

To purchase the artwork (and receive a tax deduction for the donation), please use the yeshiva’s official donation page. Once you’ve donated, just forward the invoice to the yeshiva’s treasurer, Yishai David Turjeman, at 050-4717764. We’ll handle everything and ship the painting to you for free, anywhere in the world!

For more information about the yeshiva, here is a video made by students who are still fighting in Gaza and Lebanon: