Yaron Bob, an Israeli blacksmith, has harnessed the transformative power of art to turn symbols of destruction into symbols of hope and resilience through his charity organization, Rockets To Roses. In a region often fraught with conflict, Bob’s work serves as a beacon of peace, uniting communities and inspiring positive change through creativity and compassion.
In 2000, following an air raid, Bob recalls the story about his first face-to-face encounter with a deadly rocket landing in his workshop.
“I walked into my workshop at home; this landed rocket was looking at me, I was looking at it and I felt angry,” Bob says. “I needed to take away its power and turn it into something that represented safety and security.”
Rather than succumbing to fear and despair, Bob sought to channel his artistic talents towards a greater purpose, using his skills as a blacksmith to forge a path towards healing and reconciliation.
He instantly thought of the red roses that grew in front of his mother’s house, the roses represented a cleansing energy, made him feel absent of hate and harm. He knew what he had to do. He would use his blacksmithing talents to turn the darkness of the fallen missile into something that represented light and love, the roses.
“First, I can use my talent to create something beautiful,” Bob says. “Second, I have the ability to spread the word that the people of Israel want to live in peace and harmony; we do not want war.”
An unsettling reality, with the amount of air strikes and fallen missiles across Israel, Bob has had an abundance of materials to work with over the past 24 years, most recently and most often now he works with the missiles that have been intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.
“This year, on October 7th, we had three terror attacks,” Bob says. “I lost more than 40 friends; my home still stands, but I am still a refugee five months later as a result of the attacks, unable to return to my home still; I have three grown children who have been recalled to the Army.”
Bob says many of his friends and family have lost their homes and possessions, many continue to lose their lives in the battle.
“This is my calling now; this is my destiny,” Bob says.
Bob will be back in the United States this summer and will be available for lectures and presentations.
Call Bob’s stateside colleague William at 631-782-7425 or check out @WilliamRockets2Roses on Instagram for more information and to schedule a special visit by the Rockets To Roses team.
