An unexpected and deeply moving encounter took place on Wednesday at the Hadar Ganim Bnei Akiva Ulpana ( religious high school) in Petah Tikva. A portrait painted by a student in memory of Captain Itay Maor z”l—who fell on October 7—was presented to his parents during a surprise meeting.
A coffee cart in memory of the fallen soldier
As part of “Teacher Appreciation Day” at the school, Itay’s parents, Smadar and Ilan, arrived with a coffee cart they created in his memory, called “Café Itay.” While speaking with staff members, art teacher Renana Cohen noticed the photo of Itay on the cart bore a striking resemblance to a portrait painted by student Shiraz Gamliel during an art class assignment. Though Shiraz had not known him personally, she had chosen to draw his image for a personal project.
A gesture of gratitude
The teacher introduced Shiraz to Itay’s parents and presented them with the portrait.
“I didn’t know Itay personally, but through painting him I felt like I was beginning to get to know who he was,” Shiraz shared. “Giving the portrait to his parents was a powerful moment of connection, remembrance, and gratitude.”
Principal of the school, Gafnit Green, noted:
“Over the past two years, we’ve worked to create opportunities to weave the memory of the fallen into our educational activities. This was a very special moment—made possible by the teacher’s perceptiveness and by the power of art to bring hearts together.”
