Ninety-eight-year-old Helen Knobel and her daughter Hanna Friedman are turning heads wherever they go, thanks to the hand-loomed sweaters Friedman designed. She calls them The Bring Them Back Home Blazers. On the back of these unique sweaters, there is a large yellow ribbon with the words ”Bring them home” and on the sleeve, the date ”10/7/2023.”
“People get so excited when they see me wearing these sweaters,” Friedman said. “They keep stopping me on the street and in restaurants. They say they are supporting Israel and ask me where they can get one like it.”
Friedman owns Elaris Designs, a name derived from her daughters’ names: Elanit and Eris. She moved to the U.S. from Israel with her parents when she was 14 years old. The idea to start her design company came after she participated in the Mrs. World Pageant in 1986, representing Israel and wearing her own designs. “The sweaters were so well received that opening my own business seemed like the next step,” she said.
Her mother, a Holocaust survivor from Poland, lost both parents and six of her nine siblings. “She was sent to a work camp and survived, but she often talks about her family and how the Nazis took her father and brothers away,” Friedman said.
Knobel meets with other Holocaust survivors at Café Europa every Tuesday at lunchtime. It’s a weekly social program that brings survivors together for lunch, dancing, conversation and community events. Her friends, who wore a yellow Star of David during their time in the ghettos, welcome the yellow ribbon and what it represents.
“Each time I wear the sweater, they compliment me and ask where I bought it. I proudly tell them that my daughter designed it,” Knobel said. She then hands them her daughter’s business card, which she carries in her purse.
The novelty sweaters that come in different colors aren’t cheap, but Friedman said this doesn’t deter her clientele at high-end boutiques in the U.S. from purchasing them or ordering directly from her.
“This is one way to show support and advocate for Israel,” she said. “It starts a conversation because it’s difficult to ignore them.”
“I want people to start talking and ask questions, and for Jewish people to feel supported.” – Hanna Friedman
So far, she has received only positive reactions. In an era when antisemitism is on the rise, it’s heartwarming to feel the support. “The other night, I went to dinner at a restaurant and a Persian lady got up from her seat at another table and gave me a hug. She was so moved and excited to see me wearing this sweater,” Friedman said. “It happens all the time. That’s exactly what I want to happen. I want people to start talking and ask questions, and for Jewish people to feel supported.”
For more information, visit elarisdesigns.com.
