The Presidential medal of distinction

When I was requested to design the Presidential Citation, I thought of how to merge Israeli initiative  with  the  strong stature of the citation.



Initially I tried to understand what the citation recipient symbolized. A person who has left a mark, who has raised the splendor of the State of Israel, or who has made a unique contribution to the world, who is an example of enterprising – who inspires us all. This person is a trailblazer, showing us the right direction. Through his acts, he creates the model to which society aspires. Through his knowledge, actions, creativity and innovativeness, others are inspired and navigated their own way.

In my various designs I combine contemporary thinking and tradition with a view to the future.  Here too, the world of associations has led me to primordial thinking:  what directed us before and after inventing technology? What showed us the way?. Over the years people chose their direction based on the North Star and the celestial map leading to it. Using the star, they could navigate in the dark. The North Star, besides his apparent technical function as a navigator, he constituted a symbol and an expression of what is the right way and where everyone aspires to.

After this, I wanted to define what symbolized the renewal of the state and the strong connection between past, present and future. The motif that constantly arose was that of the menorah, which symbolizes Israel’s eternal fire that will never burn out. The purpose of the menorah in the temple was to illuminate the light of wisdom, culture and renewal - one of the main emphases of awarding this citation. The menorah is designed with minimalistic lines and a twist that differs but respects the traditional original menorah design.

When I came to combine the two elements – the North Star and the menorah, I saw the Ursa Minor constellation (combined in the archetypically Israeli Eilat stone), leading to the North Star. In my design, the North Star serves as the eternal flame in the menorah, thus symbolizing that the true direction is the direction (goal) leading by the menorah. In addition, the lines of the constellation incorporate the stems of the menorah and constitute its base.

. The combination of the two motifs forms the necessary dialog between creation in the Land of Israel and universal trends.

The citation is headed by the quote “head and shoulders above the crowd” (1 Samuel 9:2).

The full verse reads: “a choice and goodly man, and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he appeared above all the people”

This highlights the unique features of those who will be awarded the citation.