Guest contributor UBAB MAD (Ulysse Berdat) is a multihyphenate: a creative, a bereaved son, an immigrant, and an IDF reservist. October 7 fundamentally changed his creative spirit, shifting his artistic focus from aesthetics to serving the Jewish people. Writing from his Tel Aviv studio, UBAB MAD reflects on his personal journey and shares key lessons for today’s Jewish leaders.
My path has never followed a straight line. I am an artist, entrepreneur, a former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) combat soldier, filmmaker, designer, and creator of large-scale international projects. Yet, since October 7, I’ve been focused on a simple question: how can art help tell a story greater than ourselves?
I grew up in Paris, relatively disconnected from Judaism despite coming from deeply Jewish roots. It was only after my father passed away when I was 17 years old that I began exploring that part of my identity. When I would read the Kaddish, one word kept popping out to me again and again: “Israel.” What started as a simple word became a curiosity that turned into a life-changing journey.
Losing my father taught me that time is not infinite. Some decisions cannot wait.
Following his death, I was driven by a fascination with ambitious projects and impossible challenges. In the years that followed, it was easy to point to my successes: I was the founder of three creative studios, worked as a designer, developed concepts for fashion brands, advised companies on branding and communication, and led large-scale creative projects.
Still, something was missing. I no longer wanted to be an observer of the story of the Jewish people. I wanted to become part of it.
At 22 years old, I moved my entire life to Israel and joined an elite unit in the Israel Defense Forces. For several years, I lived what felt like two parallel lives. In the civilian world, I was known as a French designer and entrepreneur. In uniform, I was a combat soldier.
Then came October 7. Like so many Israelis, my life broke into two: before and after. I was called for reserve duty and spent long months alongside extraordinary men and women. I experienced the very best of humanity. I witnessed courage in the face of danger, sacrifice for others, and a solidarity that often went beyond words. I also painfully lost friends who made the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and future of our nation.
When I eventually returned to my Tel Aviv studio, I realized my work could no longer be solely about aesthetics. My art needed meaning and to tell stories. My creations had to preserve memory and honor those who had shaped their generation. Art became another way for me to serve my people.
My work now focuses on combining painting, mosaics, resin, historical fragments, symbolic objects, and materials collected from around the world. Some of my creations weigh more than twenty kilograms and require months of work. No two pieces are alike. My projects range from personal commissions for families to creations intended to inspire entire communities. Each artwork is conceived as a complete universe with its own language, symbolism, and story, just like the people and ideas they honor.
Since the war, my work has changed. I’ve collaborated with Israeli fashion brand Renuar as their first artistic partner, led creative projects for the Magic Kass theme park, created and directed a documentary exploring the story of Hungarian Jewry, and created two Sefer artworks for Rudy Rochman’s project with Jewish communities in Africa.
I’ve also placed importance on spotlighting our quiet heroes who rarely appear in the headlines: volunteers, educators, families, survivors, soldiers, and community builders. The people who quietly carry Jewish life forward.
(L-R): “A Burning Soul;” UBAB MAD modelling a design from his Heroes & Rebels collaboration with Renuar; the artist with an original piece from his Jews & Heroes collection.
My journey has convinced me that the strength of the Jewish people lies not only in our ability to survive. It lies in our ability to rebuild.
Generation after generation, despite exile, persecution, and tragedy, Jews continued to build families, schools, businesses, communities, ideas, and ultimately a state. That ability to create, rebuild, and move forward remains one of my greatest sources of inspiration.
If I could share one message with the next generation of Jews around the world, it would be simple: Do not wait until you have found your mission before moving forward. The greatest adventures rarely begin with certainty. They begin with action. They begin with responsibility. They begin by saying yes to an opportunity that others might ignore.
In the end, what defines each of us is not what we have already achieved. I do not consider myself someone who has “made it,” mostly because if I stopped creating tomorrow, much of what I’ve built would simply cease. What defines me is the desire to keep building. To keep creating. To keep connecting people. To keep telling stories.
Above all, I want to ensure that no part of the Jewish story is ever forgotten.
For me, there is no time to waste.
* All photos courtesy of UBAB MAD (Ulysse Berdat).
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