Sarit Sivan

Hope | Resilience | Reflection

“From ashes to hope”, by Sarit Sivan
(Photograph by: Christian Schmelzer)
'From ashes to hope,' by Sarit Sivan. (Christian Schmelzer)

A simple glass bowl filled with burnt pencil shards — fragments of what once held words, ideas, and meaning. Charred and splintered, they evoke, at first glance, a sense of loss.

But look again.

From ashes, something remains. The pencils, though broken, still point upward. There is direction. There is persistence. There is hope.

This image echoes a deeper story — the journey of people who rose from the ashes of the Holocaust. The first generation of survivors carried unimaginable grief yet chose life. They built families, communities, homes and a future. Alongside them grew a new generation — sabras — rooted in the land, strong, forward-looking, embodying renewal.

From those same ashes emerged not only survival, but creation. A country transformed hardship into innovation, becoming a blooming startup nation — proof that even after devastation, life can flourish with extraordinary force.

And the glass that holds these fragments — transparent, reflective — reminds us of our responsibility. It mirrors us, the next generations. It asks what we will carry forward. It holds a silent promise: Never Again is not just memory, but commitment.

This is not just a bowl of burnt pencil shards.

It is a testament — that from destruction can come direction, from loss can rise life, and from memory responsibility must grow.

About the Author
As the fifth President of Braude College of Engineering, I lead a prominent engineering institution, following six years as Vice President for Academic Affairs. Formerly Head of Biotechnology Engineering, I advanced research infrastructure and industry partnerships. My work focuses on biomaterials for medical applications; I have authored 45+ publications, hold three patents, and earned competitive grants, including Marie Curie and ISF. I received my Ph.D. from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at University of Oxford.
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