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<\/a>\n\t\tA ring made from breast milk jewelry by Melania Koloditzky, 2026 (Courtesy)<\/p>\n
The move was exhilarating but not easy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t speak Hebrew other than \u2018shalom,\u2019 \u2018todah\u2019 and \u2018mazel tov,\u2019\u201d she says, using the popular phrases for greeting, thanks and congratulations.<\/p>\n
She spent five months studying at an immersive Hebrew language course on a kibbutz in northern Israel before gradually building a life for herself. Along the way, she worked a variety of jobs, including babysitting, and later worked at the Weizmann Institute of Science.<\/p>\n
Those experiences reflected two interests that had long existed side by side. She always loved science. Before immigrating, she had begun studying biotechnology and remained captivated by the remarkable capabilities of the human body. And at the same time, she nurtured her creative side, studying graphic and interior design and spending years making art and crafts.<\/p>\n
Looking back, she says, breast-milk jewelry became the perfect meeting point between those two worlds.<\/p>\n
\t \u201cIt combines my fascination with science and my love of creating things with my hands,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Another thread ran through her life: Koloditzky wanted to become a mother.<\/p>\n \u201cEven as a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a mother one day,\u201d she continues.<\/p>\n She welcomed her first daughter at 22 and quickly discovered that motherhood, while deeply rewarding, was not easy.<\/p>\n \u201cBreastfeeding surprised me,\u201d she says. \u201cI had never imagined it could be so challenging.\u201d<\/p>\n There was pain, deep frustration and tears. But the experience also sparked a deeper curiosity about breast milk itself \u2014 a curiosity that drew together her personal experience and scientific interests.<\/p>\n To Koloditzky, breast milk is one of nature\u2019s great marvels.<\/p>\n \u201cIt isn\u2019t simply food,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a living substance that changes constantly according to a baby\u2019s needs.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Research has shown that breast milk adapts throughout infancy, altering its composition as babies grow and even increasing immune-supporting components when a child is sick.<\/p>\n \u201cTo me, that feels almost like a superpower,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n The idea of preserving that experience first took root before she became a mother herself, when she saw a Spanish YouTuber wearing earrings made from her own breast milk.<\/p>\n The image stayed with her.<\/p>\n After experiencing pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding firsthand, she finally understood why.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, breast milk jewelry is not simply about preserving milk,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s about preserving a chapter of life that passes so quickly, yet changes you forever.\u201d<\/p>\n After the birth of her second daughter, she began creating keepsake pieces for herself. Eventually, friends and other mothers began asking for their own.<\/p>\n That personal project gradually evolved into Forever Moments, the business she runs today.<\/p>\n For the past five years, Koloditzky has created handmade breast-milk jewelry for clients throughout Israel and abroad. She also offers do-it-yourself kits for mothers who want to craft their own keepsakes at home.<\/p>\n Some of the most meaningful work she does, however, happens through a volunteer partnership with Magen David Adom\u2019s breast-milk bank. For mothers who have experienced stillbirth and choose to donate their breast milk to vulnerable infants, Koloditzky creates commemorative breast-milk stones that accompany certificates of appreciation.<\/p>\n \u201cThese women go through an unimaginable loss,\u201d she says. \u201cDespite their grief, they choose to transform that pain into an act of generosity.\u201d<\/p>\n \t It is work she describes as both humbling and deeply moving.<\/p>\n What stays with her most are the stories.<\/p>\n Behind every pendant, ring or stone, she says, is a family, a memory and a journey unlike any other.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I look at breast-milk jewelry, I don\u2019t simply see a piece of jewelry,\u201d she says. \u201cI see strength. I see resilience. I see the incredible transformation that happens when a woman becomes a mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident \u2013 ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded \u2013 I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.<\/p>\n There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.<\/p>\n As a Times of Israel reporter, I\u2019m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit\u2019s. But my colleagues and I can’t do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.<\/p>\n \u2014 Stav Levaton, military reporter<\/p>\n \t\t\t
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\n\t\tMelanie Koloditzky at work, 2026 (Courtesy)<\/p>\n<\/a>
\n\t\tKoloditzky and her daughters model breast milk jewelry bracelets, 2026 (Courtesy)<\/p>\n<\/a>
\n\t\tThe \u2018Tree of Life\u2019 design made from a baby\u2019s first lock of hair. The piece on the left was made using sewing thread for a mother who lost her daughter, 2026 (Courtesy)<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tWe can’t do this work alone.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tYes, I’ll join\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n