Adam from New York came to us with an idea he had been thinking about for a long time.

He had thought about getting a tattoo for years, but nothing felt strong enough to stay on his skin forever. He looked for phrases, quotes, and symbols, but none of them felt right. Then, after October 7, he saw his wife wearing her Hebrew name on a necklace around her neck, and something became clear. What he wanted to carry on his skin was family.

There was no need for a quote. No need to explain too much. His wife and children were the center. He wanted their Hebrew names placed near his heart, on the inside of his arm, somewhere private. Something seen only by him and by the people inside what he called his circle of trust.

As he described his family, what stood out was the way each person has a distinct energy. Differen personalities, different needs, different ways of moving through the world. And still, they form one unit. For Adam, family comes first. Everything else is noise.

The Star of David became the form for that feeling. He was drawn to it as a Jewish symbol, but also as a structure of strength. Two triangles overlaid, stable from every direction.

Gabriel approached the piece through the sentiments Adam described. Unity and individuality. A family held together without erasing the differences that compose it.

Rather than having each name form a separate point, the names move in a spiral, toward and away from the center. Five names creating six points. The separation blurs, and the form becomes tighter.

For Adam, the piece is private by nature. A mark of Jewish identity, family, loyalty, and strength. Keeping his loved ones close, and holding onto the identity they share, both as a family and as Jews.