From Rafah to Azrieli Mall in Two Years: Severely Wounded Fighter Opens New Branch
Dreams come true: Yonatan Ben-Shabat was severely wounded during the fighting in Gaza and today moves in a wheelchair, but this week he celebrated the opening of the new branch of his jewelry brand at Azrieli.
About two years after he was severely wounded during the fighting in Rafah, 22-year-old Yonatan Ben-Shabat, a fighter and commander in the Givati Brigade, continues to prove that the greatest crises can become an engine for growth.
This week, Ben-Shabat opened a new branch of the jewelry brand FESTIVE at the Azrieli Mall in Jerusalem — another step in the company's expansion plan, which already operates several branches across the country and continues to establish its position as one of the growing Israeli jewelry brands.
New branch of the jewelry brand FESTIVE (Photo: Yonatan Ben-Shabat)
Opening the new branch is not just the launch of another point of sale, but symbolizes the continuation of the path of a company that was completely halted following the war and the severe injury of its founder. With the outbreak of the war, the company's operations were stopped, but in parallel with the rehabilitation process he underwent, Yonatan rebuilt the brand.
Alongside the personal struggle — even today he moves in a wheelchair and continues to work every day with the goal of walking again — he reorganized the company's operations, expanded the team, and returned FESTIVE to a path of consistent growth.
The jewelry brand FESTIVE was established with a vision to create a young, high-quality, and accessible Israeli brand, combining modern design with a unique shopping experience. The new branch at the Azrieli Mall in Jerusalem is designed with an innovative concept that combines clean lines, high-quality materials, and offers jewelry collections for women and men alongside exclusive products.
Yonatan Ben-Shabat in the hospital (Photo: Private)
"The injury and the disability changed my life, but they did not change my dreams. There were moments when I didn't know how I would continue, but I decided that I would not let what happened define me. For me, every new branch is not just a business achievement — it is proof that one can rise even after the most difficult moments, continue to dream, build, and believe in the path," says Yonatan Ben-Shabat.
The opening of the branch in Jerusalem symbolizes a victory of the choice not to remain where life stopped. From the place where it seemed that everything had halted, the brand was rebuilt, step by step, out of perseverance and uncompromising work. For Yonatan, every new branch is evidence that even from the deepest crises, one can grow and turn the difficult periods in life into a foundation upon which a stronger future is built.
