Embroidered with Love: A Journey of Prayer and Hope

Like many others in Israel, Talya Haba found herself helping wherever she could at the onset of the conflict. "I cooked meals for soldiers, tried to give support where possible, but still felt a deep urge to contribute something personal from the heart," she recalls. "At first, I had no idea what, but the desire kept growing within me." Over time, a new idea began to take shape, and now Talya is nearing the completion of a project that weaves together craftsmanship and heartfelt expression—"Prayers of the Embroiderers."

Embroidered Embrace

"I love embroidery," Talya begins. "For me, it's not only about beauty, but also an internal form of expression. When the captives came to my attention, I felt compelled to embroider their names and pray for them as I did. Realizing I couldn't do it all myself, I decided to share their names with other women who felt connected to the idea. That's how the project began, with women embroidering the names of the captives, infusing each stitch with prayers for their release."

The distribution of embroidery kits quickly gained momentum. "A friend who heard about the idea suggested organizing a team evening at the school where she works. The idea was for everyone to embroider together while praying for the safety of the captives. It was a particularly moving evening. We played music, sang, recited Psalms, and each woman shared her personal feelings about the project and how she expressed them through her embroidery. Following that evening, more gatherings took place in different locations, each just as touching. The word spread, and more women took embroidery kits home."

Heartfelt stories surrounding the embroideries soon emerged. "One woman brought me her embroidery, admitting she was embarrassed by the result," Talya shares. "'I don't know how to embroider, and it didn't come out nicely,' she told me, 'but I prayed for them wholeheartedly the entire time.' I was deeply moved, and since then, her embroidery has become my favorite. Another woman, who has been practicing the art of embroidery for years, embraced the project with open arms. She told me that the difficult events left her feeling paralyzed, unable to create, and suddenly, this project allowed her to give something of herself in a field she loved, revitalizing her spirit. Some women made it a family project, taking home kits for themselves and their daughters. For another woman, the family project took on a different form as she embroidered, her children gathered around her reciting Psalms."

The completed works were diverse in style. "Some women enclosed their pieces in a frame to symbolize a warm embrace for the captives and their families, while others left theirs open and free, representing the freedom and liberty they wished for the captives. Each woman's unique style reflects her personal feelings on the subject."

Over 120 women participated in the project, intertwining threads of their hearts and prayers into each piece. "From here, we hope to reach every captive's family, to present them with the embroidery, along with the collective embrace of all the embroiderers," Talya concludes.