Exhibit: The Final Peace

The Final Peace

Paintings by Hadar Goldin
Exhibit Dates: April 24 – Mid-June, 2025
Artist Reception: Monday, May 12 | 6:00pm – more>

About the Exhibit
Hadar Goldin (1991-2014) was a born leader. At the age of 15 he took on his first official leadership role in the Bnei Akiva youth movement. His passion for Israel, his zeal for Jewish values, his kindness and his love for all mankind are remembered by all who knew him. During his army service, as a commander, Hadar showed strength, commitment and a deep sense of care for his soldiers. Hadar taught them to be both brave and humble, setting an example through his own actions. Hadar used to say: “You have two options in life to care for yourself or to do greater things.”

In his short life, Hadar left behind an extensive artistic treasure. His artwork comprises a variety of sketches, paintings, drawings, and writings, which he completed throughout his early childhood years in Israel and England, and in his years of military service.

Hadar always had something to write with and to draw on and put everything on paper, from the most trivial things to the most meaningful. Hadar’s artwork provides a window to his world and creative soul, which is expressed in color, whimsical subjects, raw experiments and techniques. A visual language that was forming but was tragically silenced.

At the time of Operation Protective Edge, Hadar was engaged and had sketched his wedding invitation on a piece of paper in which he quoted Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook: “And this generation will live to praise both beauty and life.”  Hadar’s wedding never took place. His remains are still held captive by the Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

Hadar Goldin was killed and abducted during the ceasefire brokered by the US and UN during Operation Protective Edge in 2014 and blatantly violated by Hamas. Hadar was killed and his remains seized in violation and abiding disrespect of UN and EU values and norms. Hamas’ refusal to return Hadar continues to inflict unnecessary suffering until this day and is a further affront to universal values.

The Final Peace exhibition is a call to raise awareness and bring Hadar home to find peace among his family, his loved ones and his country. Hadar’s art speaks for him to all those who have the heart to feel its beauty and peace. More at hadargoldinfoundation.org

Exhibition Curator: Maya Barkai

#BringHadarHome
We are each, as representatives and as members of civil society, trustees of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, and as such have a responsibility to ensure that Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law obligations are respected and implemented.

On August 1st 2014, two hours after Hamas agreed to a US & UN-mandated and EU-supported humanitarian ceasefire, Hadar Goldin and two of his comrades were ambushed by Hamas terrorists. The three were killed, and Hadar was dragged into a tunnel deep into Gaza.

Hadar Goldin’s remains have yet to be returned for proper burial. Every day that passes constitutes a standing violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the universal principles and values of human dignity, further intensifying and adds unnecessarily to the pain and suffering of the loss of a loved one.

Recognizing the assault on International Humanitarian Law immediately after the outright violation of the ceasefire, US President Obama and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned Hamas and called for Hadar’s unconditional and immediate return. On December 22nd 2017, the UN Security Council reached an ‘End to End’ consensus regarding the standing violation of the International Humanitarian Law by Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.

On June 11, 2019, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2474, which calls on the UN member states initiating agreements after armed conflict to return the remains of missing persons as a confidence building measure.

#BringHadarHome in order to live up to the mission of upholding and advancing these fundamental humanitarian principles.

“Indeed, make it so that each of our hearts will see the good in our friends, and not their faults, and that everyone should speak to his friend in a way that is righteous and acceptable before You. Amen.” From Hadar’s Sidur – Adraba Prayer