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Hanukkiah of Hope is an Installation by Israeli artist Eli Gross. It was placed in December 2024 in the Hostages Square in Tel Aviv ahead of the Hanukkah holiday, in the context of the Iranian attack on Israel in October 2024 and the Iron Swords War.
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The installation is constructed from missile fragments that were launched at Israel from three fronts: Iran, the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. None of the missiles caused casualties. It also incorporates components from Iron Dome interceptors. The hanukkiah was created as a symbol of resilience, [1] hope and the belief in light emerging from destruction. [2]
Gross served more than four hundred days in reserve duty during the Iron Swords War, and his experiences from that period shaped the conceptual foundations of his work. His art focuses on combining materials with security and social resonance, such as missile fragments, with Jewish and national symbols raising questions of memory, repair and hope.
The hanukkiah is approximately one point ninety meters tall and weighs an estimated half ton. It is made of metal sections that underwent heating and shaping, including fragments and missile remains formed into a structure resembling a traditional hanukkiah. Visitors tied thousands of yellow ribbons around its branches as a sign of solidarity and prayer for the return of the hostages. Later, hundreds of white ribbons were added to symbolize joy for the hostages who returned home alive.
During Hanukkah 5785 (2024), candle lighting ceremonies were held around the installation with public figures, representatives of hostage families and wounded soldiers. The hanukkiah became a pilgrimage site and a symbol of hope during one of the most difficult periods in the country's history.
In the following year the hanukkiah remained in Hostages Square, appeared at major public events including the historic Vitkoff speech, and was viewed by hundreds of thousands of visitors and tens of millions through media [3] [4] and social networks.