Stickers of Meaning

The October 7 massacres and the subsequent war have claimed the lives of nearly 2,000 civilians and soldiers. Almost every Israeli family has been affected or has a close friend who has. In the wake of this enormous loss, a uniquely Israeli trait has emerged: the search for hope and meaning amid tragedy. It has become a tradition in Israel, during this war, for families and friends to create a memorial sticker for their loved ones. These stickers often feature a picture, the name, and rank if the person was a soldier, along with other details like age or unit symbol. Many of the stickers include a unique element: a personal motto or phrase that held special significance to the individual. The stickers are placed in public spaces – serving as a heartfelt tribute and a visible reminder of those who have been lost. Each individual represents a unique world of their own, and so many were young men and women on the cusp of adulthood, their futures brimming with promise. Their pictures show smiles full of life and eyes shining with hope. The sentiments in the stickers guided them in their brief lives and their families have shared them to uplift and inspire others – to encourage a life of purpose, meaning and joy. The Stickers of Meaning project was created to collect and present these stickers to the public in a central repository, making them and the powerful messages they carry accessible to as many people as possible. Honoring the fallen by remembering them is a sacred tradition. Through these Stickers of Meaning, we have an opportunity to do even more – to learn from those we lost and carry forward the ideas that were important to them, helping to build a world filled with love, purpose, and accomplishment. Your contribution will assist in the development of educational programs in Israel and worldwide that will spread the messages of the fallen, educate Israeli youth based on these messages, and help bring Jewish communities around the world closer to the values of Israeli society..