Iconic Israeli street artist offers his work on loan to UK venues

Works by Israeli street artist Benzi Brofman are being offered on loan to synagogues, community centres and schools by the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism. 

Brofman created two paintings at the academic centre’s London conference in March. Now LCSCA wants to share their message with spaces that would like to exhibit them for a maximum of six months.

One commemorates those who were killed at the Nova Festival on 7 October 2023 and the other is a celebration of the organisation’s conference.

Brofman was at an event in Kibbutz Re’im the day before the Hamas atrocities, invited to paint at a trance scene event. However, because his wife was ill and he had a “gut feeling” that “something terrible was going to happen”, he left the Nova Festival early.

Speaking to Jewish News in November 2023, Brofman said: “My life was saved but my friends’ lives were not.”

He has been remembering those murdered at the festival and the hostages taken into Gaza ever since.

Academic director of the LCSCA David Hirsh told Jewish News: “We focus on antisemitism at the highest levels of thought in universities. But our community of support is essential, both materially and morally. We would very much like communities to take turns to give these murals a home and we would like to reach out and talk about what we do.”

A number of “Bring Them Home” works by Brofman were showcased in Camden Town, Shoreditch and Waterloo in November 2023.

• If you are a synagogue, a community centre, school, or any space that can keep Benzi Brofman’s works safe, contact centre@LondonAntisemitism.com.