STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO – Join Har Mishpacha the Jewish Congregation of Steamboat, STAND (Steamboat Team to disrupt Antisemitism and Discrimination), Steamboat Springs Police Department, ADL – Anti-Defamation League (Mountain States), Exploring the Sacred, other local organizations, and the entire Routt County community for a moving kite flying ceremony to stand in solidarity with our community members who are remembering and mourning the victims of the October 7th attack on Israel.
We will gather early morning to commemorate this day with togetherness, hope, and peace. This event is open to all and welcomes everyone to come together in remembrance and support.
Kites for Peace
Whistler Park, Steamboat Springs
October 7th, 2024
Coffee & Kite Making: 8:00am
Ceremony and Kite Flying: 8:30am
Until October 7th, Kfar Aza was a serene kibbutz located at the northernmost edge of the eastern border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. Today, it stands as a stark reminder of the violence that unfolded that tragic day. Established in 1951 and home to around 900 idealistic residents committed to peace, Kfar Aza was recognized for its innovations in computerized irrigation and its dedication to peace initiatives. Each year, community members would gather on an open area close to the Gaza border—just half a mile from the kibbutz—to fly kites bearing messages of peace and freedom aimed at their Palestinian neighbors. This annual event, called Kites for Hope, was created in response to a wave of violence in 2018 involving explosive kites sent from Gaza. Aviv Kutz, a resident of Kfar Aza who had lived in the U.S., initiated this meaningful tradition. Unfortunately, last year’s Kites for Hope was set for October 7th but never occurred due to the devastating attack on Kfar Aza and the surrounding southern region of Israel. A group of 350 Hamas militants invaded the kibbutz that morning, killing 68 residents and kidnapping 18 others, ensuring no kites would be flown that day. Tragically, Aviv, along with his wife Livnat and their three children—Yonatan, Yiftach, and Rotem—were found murdered in their home days later. Just feet from Aviv’s body lay the peace kite he and his family had planned to fly. In remembrance of all that was lost on October 7, we will recreate this kite festival in Routt County. We invite you to join us in sending our united hopes for peace into the sky and beyond.
More information about STAND: www.standsteamboat.com
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Contacts:
Rabbi Kolby Morris-Dahary, rabbikolby@harmishpacha.org
Lauren Hughes, colaurenhughes@gmail.com
Alexa Taylor, alexa@harmishpacha.org