Creating unexpected moments of Jewish and Zionist strength has become a guiding instinct in work my wife Heather and I have been developing, including a collaboration with Maccabi USA and Livingston Advocates called Sneaker Spotlight.
The project began with a moment involving Deni Avdija, when he wrote “Yizkor” on his sneaker during a nationally televised game. What stayed with me was not only the message itself, but that an emerging star used his moment to express Jewish identity openly and without apology.
That became a prompt for us. How might a moment in sport become an invitation for others to express identity in their own voice?
We began by inviting contemporary trading card artists to create one-of-one interpretations inspired by Deni’s gesture. I loved the idea of using the trading card, already tied to memory, heroism and storytelling, as a canvas for identity. Each artist approached it differently, but together the works suggested something larger. Jewish expression could move through contemporary forms in ways that feel surprising and alive.
One-of-one trading card interpretations inspired by Deni Avdija’s on-court message, created by participating artists including Luke The Cardist and The Perfect Serial. (LITTLELIGHT)
We did not want that work to remain static, so at a Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration last week in Livingston we turned it into a living installation. We built what we called the Wall of Mensch and invited people passing by to consider a simple prompt: If this were your moment, what would you write on your sneaker?
Participants received cards featuring Deni’s sneaker and added their messages to a graffiti-inspired wall anchored by a pixelated sneaker image. With every card, the image sharpened. The work was completed not by a single artist, but by a community.
A parent and child contribute their message to the ‘Sneaker Spotlight’ Wall of Mensch. (LITTLELIGHT)
What emerged on that wall moved me more than I expected. Messages about courage, family, resilience, pride and hope accumulated one by one. One simply read, “For my grandparents.”
That, in many ways, captured the heart of the wall. Individual acts, small on their own, gathered meaning when held collectively. Voices strengthened when placed beside one another.
And then there was Paulette, a Holocaust survivor and beloved local crossing guard, who quietly added her own note: “Be safe and careful. Always with love.”
There was something profoundly right about her voice living among those of children and families. It felt like memory bridging generations in real time. We later honored her with a one-of-one card acetate card with a red stitched shoelace as a symbol of continuity. It felt less like a gift and more like a continuation of the conversation.
Paulette Dorflaufer holds her one-of-one Sneaker Spotlight card, a symbol of memory, identity, and continuity across generations. (LITTLELIGHT)
What surprised me most about the day was how naturally people entered into the experience. You could be walking through a festival of music and family activities, come across an eight-foot installation rising unexpectedly from a field, and suddenly find yourself reflecting on identity, memory and what you would stand for if the moment were yours.
At a time when antisemitism has again become part of daily Jewish consciousness, and as fewer firsthand witnesses remain to carry memory directly, finding new ways for younger generations to engage identity feels urgent. Not as a replacement for tradition, but as one way tradition continues to breathe, helping carry the meaning of “Never Again” forward through new generations.
That is part of what I mean when I think about a refusenik spirit for our time. Continuing to find creative ways to strengthen Jewish life. Creating forms that invite participation. Helping culture become a place where memory and pride can circulate.
Sneaker Spotlight is one expression of that work. My hope is that it encourages more of us to take an inner look at how we own our Judaism and our Zionism, and to find creative outlets through which those identities can be expressed and a little more light can be shared.
Wall of Mensch (LITTLELIGHT)
Zev Ziegler is a “behind-the-scenes” brand marketer who recently completed 15+ years in various corporate leadership titles to pursue passion projects. In parallel to building brands for trusted leaders and challenger teams looking to disrupt and delight their industries, Zev identified a need for his latest project, LittleLight Productions, which was born from his Jewish roots as a dual citizen of the U.S. and Israel and a grandson of Holocaust survivors. Zev’s aim with LitteLight’s first project is to play “offense” during times requiring more kindness, empathy and support – a powerful message that could translate across many situations and circumstances.