When the terrorist organisation Hamas attacked residents of the Israeli kibbutz Be’eri on 7 October, it upset the lives of many, including those in the jewellery world.
There are deep roots between Israel and the international jewellery community, not least because Israel is a major diamond-cutting centre. Be’eri was one of several Jewish communities on the Gaza border where Hamas gunmen slaughtered and kidnapped innocents and set fire to homes – vicious actions that reached far beyond the borders of southern Israel.
One of those murdered at the kibbutz was Grandview Klein manager Isaac Siton, who was on holiday with his family. His wife, son and sister-in-law were also killed that day. In a telephone interview this week, company president Moshe Klein was understandably shaken, describing Siton’s death as “an open wound”.
“We call ourselves a family company because all our employees are literally like family,” he said.
Voices of solidarity
Many business groups were quick to condemn the violence. Among the first to do so were the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA), the Diamond Manufacturers & Importers Association of America (DMIA), the Diamond Dealers Club (DDC) and the Indian Diamond & Colorstone Association (IDCA). The groups issued a joint statement condemning the “horrific acts of violence perpetrated against the citizens of Israel” and welcoming “any action they take to ensure that such acts can never happen again”.
Jewelers of America (JA), the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) and the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 (WJI 2030) issued similar statements of support.
“Our hearts go out to all our industry colleagues affected by this ongoing tragedy,” said the JA.
“Families feel each other’s pain, and the jewellery and gemstone family feels yours,” CIBJO said in its release.
Meanwhile, the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) condemned Hamas for the attack and expressed sympathy for all the unintended victims in Israel and Gaza. “As violence follows violence, we stand with all innocent Israelis and innocent Palestinians who are suffering from loss, grief, the unknown and horror”.
Called to fight
Of course, the conflict has had a direct impact on jewellery companies in Israel. Itay Hendel, CEO of the ISPS loss prevention agency in Ramat Gan, has been called up along with his brothers and some of his employees.
“I really can’t work and have cancelled five business trips for the next two months,” he said in an e-mail interview last week. “We’re all on standby now.”
Isaac Levy, founder of Jerusalem jewellery maker Yvel, says both his employees and their children have been called up, and he’s temporarily closed his Israeli boutiques. But he’s not sitting idly by. Instead, he has teamed up with Yondor Diamonds of the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) to raise more than NIS 2.5 million ($615,790) to buy ceramic body armour for Israeli soldiers. In addition, Megemeria – the jewellery school he founded to support the Ethiopian Jewish community – is creating “I stand with Israel” designs to sell, with 100% of the proceeds going to families affected by the Hamas massacre.
Serving in other ways
Freida Rothman of the New York-based jewellery company of the same name was in Israel with her family for the holiday of Sukkot when the attacks occurred. The Rothmans were in Jerusalem when they heard air raid sirens and didn’t understand what they meant until a hotel clerk told them to “get to a shelter – we’re at war”.
This was just before their flight home, which was delayed for a week. During that time, Rothman watched soldiers and reservists report for duty at a rendezvous point just outside her hotel, and she and her children quickly mobilised to volunteer with locals in any way they could. They ended up helping the OneFamily group, which provides aid to Israeli terror victims. They helped pack food for donations and paid tribute to a murdered soldier whose family were in France. Young men – including her son – were asked to help bury the bodies.
To further support the cause, Rothman is now donating 18% of sales from her Women of Strength jewellery line to OneFamily. “The number 18 in Hebrew is the equivalent of [the word] ‘life’,” she explains. The pieces carry messages such as ‘strength’, ‘faith’ and ‘hope’. (Click here to see the collection.)
When it came time to leave, the goodbyes were bittersweet: Her 19-year-old daughter, who had been married in Israel just weeks before, stayed behind with her husband to support the country.
I took the diamond necklace I had made for her and told her she could have it back when she came home to me,” says Rothman.
