In collaboration with Light of Courage
When his friend Nadav Kraiman was killed, Yohai Ansbacher decided to launch a project dedicated to honoring life’s heroes—individuals from all walks of life in Israeli society who have gone to extraordinary lengths to save lives. Since then, Ansbacher has made it a tradition to reach out each year to artists and distinguished figures, asking them to reflect on their moments of personal triumph.
What makes a person a hero?
Light of Courage, which will take place this week in Jerusalem, is dedicated to those who have performed extraordinary acts to save lives and overcome unimaginable challenges.
This year, photographer Ziv Koren has chosen to highlight Dr. Ellay Hogeg, who suffered severe burns after terrorists set her home on fire—yet returned to her medical studies and gave birth to a baby just a month ago.
Singer-songwriter Ivri Lider will share the story of his friend who was killed in Kfar Aza and how it impacted his art. Alongside them, other artists will take the stage to spotlight remarkable moments of resilience from the past year.
Overcame severe injuries on October 7, returned to medical school and became a mother
On October 7, terrorists set fire to the home of Dr. Ellay Hogeg in Kfar Aza. Ellay, her husband and their infant daughter suffered severe burns. She was sedated and ventilated for 51 days. When she woke up, even before she had fully recovered, she made the decision to complete her medical internship. And if that sounds unbelievable—last month, Hogeg gave birth to another son, Yiftach, a symbol of renewal.
Ellay is the hero chosen by photographer Ziv Koren. Koren accompanied the family from the lowest moments of her hospitalization with severe burns, through her return to her internship and even into the delivery room, forming a profound and emotional bond with them.
On Wednesday evening, during the special Light of Courage event, the photographer and artist will share what happened between them, how a connection was forged both in front of and behind the camera and why she was the hero he chose after October 7.
Live on Ynetnews at 8:30 p.m.: Light of Courage in special broadcast from Jerusalem
At 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, we will broadcast live on Ynetnews the special Light of Courage event from Jerusalem, featuring top creators and artists who will use theater, music, video art, dance and other mediums to present the stories they see as embodying the heroism of life over the past year.
Light of Courage was founded eight years ago in memory of Nadav Kraiman, a Duvdevan unit commando who was killed in 2014. His family chose to donate his organs, saving nine lives.
Since then, his friend Yohai Ansbacher has dedicated his life to this initiative, which provides a platform for heroism in various fields of Israeli society—not just on the battlefield.
This year, on Tu Bishvat, February 12, the event will be held in the presence of President Isaac Herzog, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, artists Ivri Lider and Roni Dalumi, advocacy activist Yoseph Haddad, photographer Ziv Koren and other artists.
Through a mosaic of artistic expressions, they will highlight moments of strength and hope from central figures in Israeli society and Jewish communities around the world.
'You don’t have to die to be a hero'
The inspiration for the event, says Ansbacher, the project's founder and initiator, came from a book he read. “In Simon Wiesenthal’s 1969 book The Sunflower, a Holocaust survivor, who was also a Jewish architect known as a Nazi hunter, recounts a moment in which a Jewish survivor meets a dying Nazi soldier in a European hospital. The soldier confesses his crimes and asks for forgiveness. At the height of the tension, when the reader does not yet know how the survivor will respond, Wiesenthal opens the question of forgiveness to authors, poets and philosophers. I decided to try and implement what Wiesenthal did in his book in the form of a unique concept that combines the performing arts.”
Why did you choose the concept of heroism?
"The concept of heroism has always fascinated me," says Ansbacher. "I thought it would be interesting and thought-provoking to take exemplary figures in Israeli society, conduct in-depth research with them and distill points they have never discussed before in the context of heroism. Resilience, for example."
Ivri Lider told me: 'Thank you for making me think about hope, because I’m in a dark place'
"Ivri Lider talks about his technical producer and close friend, Aviv Baram, who fought heroically and was killed in Kfar Aza. He also shares his personal perspective—how the past year has changed his art. He speaks about how it shook his faith in the state. During our meeting, Ivri said to me: 'I’m happy to connect with a project like this right now. Thank you for making me think about hope, because I’m in a dark place.'”
What other content can we expect at the event?
Ansbacher: "This is a unique concept that brings original content and forces the chosen figures to pause, reflect and create something new. The experience integrates all forms of performing arts. The idea is to delve deep with figures who intrigue us, with each one choosing the hero or moment that symbolized the heroism of life for them over the past year."
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What makes the heroes chosen by the artists special?
Ansbacher: "They went above and beyond to save lives. They didn’t stay in their small, comfortable place. Sometimes, though not always, they paid with their lives. You don’t have to die to be a hero, but you do have to step out of your comfort zone."
'In times of peace, we don't need heroes'
Renowned photographer Ziv Koren, the house photographer for Yedioth Ahronoth, is deeply moved as he prepares for his talk at the event. "I’ve given countless lectures since October 7. I’m tasked with bringing people into an experience that carries a wide range of emotions. The story of the Hogeg family encompasses the most unimaginable hardship, real life-threatening danger—and from that, resilience emerges."
Since October 7, Koren has formed deep connections with the families of victims, hostages and the wounded. "I’ve developed very close relationships with people I’ve accompanied, people who have entered my heart," he says.
"I have been working with the same intensity since October 7, around the clock. It is important for me to tell what happened here, to keep the issue of the hostages in the public eye. Around this, I’ve created several platforms to continue spreading the message: the daily editorial work in newspapers in Israel and abroad, the exhibition, the book and the lectures."
Joining the Light of Courage initiative required the esteemed photographer to reflect once again on the very concept of heroism—and what heroism truly means after October 7.
"In times of peace, we don’t need heroes," says Koren. "Heroes—who, in most cases, become so against their will—are born in times of crisis. As a people, we can be proud of an unfathomable number of heroes. The families of the hostages, who have put their entire lives on hold—they are, in my eyes, truly admirable. The survivors, the wounded, the soldiers, the volunteers and the civilians who have stepped up and taken action. People who left their previous lives behind. This is a time when everyone should ask themselves what they can do for the greater good."
"I was in Gaza with reservists doing their third rotation—that's six or seven months in total of daily combat in Gaza," Koren describes. "I am in awe of these guys who left their families and jobs, and they don’t feel cold, they don’t feel hot, they’re not tired, they’re not hungry—they just want to complete the mission they were sent to do. To me, every one of them is a superhero."
How do you navigate the deep personal connection with your subjects while documenting them at such difficult moments? Does your relationship with them change when they are in front of your camera versus behind it?
Koren: "That’s not even a question for me. Especially because I am an incredibly all-in kind of person. Just last Friday, I had dinner with Mia Schem and her family. That’s what fills me. Long after I put the camera down, the bonds I’ve formed remain profound. Still, photography is a limited medium. It has no movement, no sound."
According to him, "In our fast-paced world, it’s difficult to pause and focus on a single image because we are bombarded with an overwhelming amount of visual information every day. A still photograph consists of fifty percent information and fifty percent emotion—the same emotion I try to capture with my camera so I can pass it on to the viewer. That emotion doesn’t bypass me on its way—it passes through me. And that’s why I go through a deeply emotional experience."
This Wednesday, Ziv Koren will share his story and the story of the hero he has chosen at Light of Courage, alongside a lineup of leading artists. We invite you to join the live broadcast from Jerusalem at 8:30 p.m. on Ynetnews.
In collaboration with Light of Courage