Courtesy of JCC.
A woman poses in front of the original Wings of Hope installation at Kibbutz Kfar Aza near the Gaza border
Submitted by the Mayerson JCC
The Cincinnati Jewish community will come together this month to commemorate what many call “the Yoms (days),” or the modern Israeli holidays. After the tragic events of October 7, 2023, and the ongoing war and continued holding of the hostages, the need for solidarity and remembrance feels even more important this year. Over the course of about a week, the community will remember those lost during the Holocaust and subsequent wars and celebrate the beacon of hope and strength that Israel continues to be. Tzach Shmuely, Cincinnati’s Israeli Emissary, describes the importance of this year’s theme. “After nearly two difficult years, there is a need to convey messages of hope. Even during challenging times, the Jewish people and Israeli society have shown incredible resilience, and there remains much reason for optimism. Our theme, Regrow and Rebuild, reflects the desire to honor the past while embracing the future.”
“This series of holidays encapsulate the Israeli and Zionist narrative,” he continues. “The proximity of these days is not coincidental; it explains the existence of the State of Israel, the sacrifices it requires, and the necessity of Jewish sovereignty.” In Israel, these days are publicly marked with sirens, media broadcasts and large commemorative events, Tzach notes. However, “living outside of Israel, marking these dates becomes more important to capture their crucial messages that shape the shared Israeli and Jewish story.”
“Israel is the great project of the Jewish people. Some Jews choose to live in Israel, but it is a collective endeavor in which every Jew worldwide should feel they have a place. The State of Israel thrives on the connection of Jews from around the world through advocacy, support, volunteering and more.”
The commemorations in Cincinnati begin on April 27 with Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, at the Mayerson JCC. This somber day will honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and pay tribute to survivors. A candle-lighting ceremony, led by six survivor families, will be accompanied by music and prayer. All descendants of Holocaust survivors are invited to participate. This event is organized by the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, in partnership with Jewish Family Service of the Cincinnati area.
On April 29, a Yom HaZikaron memorial service will be held at the JCC, in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. This service will honor Israeli soldiers and victims of terror who gave their lives in defense of the State of Israel. A special performance by the Tamari Project, a musical initiative dedicated to the memory of Tamar Kedem Siman-Tov, will take place. Tamar and her family were tragically murdered on October 7. The Tamari Project uses music to tell her family’s story and to advocate for the safe return of all the hostages. The musicians behind the project will also perform at a 60 & Better luncheon and at Café Alma, which is open to the public, on April 30.
In addition to the special musical performances, the week will include community arts projects. Sharon Hammer and her husband Moran will host several candle-making workshops, where they will teach the process of pouring, adding natural fragrance extracts and decorating with a personal touch. They own The Family Workshop in Kibbutz Carmia, the Jewish Federation’s partnership community in the Gaza envelope, that creates handmade lifestyle products with a focus on natural materials.
The week will culminate in a celebration of Israel’s Independence Day on May 1 at the Mayerson JCC, featuring special exhibits, booths and family-friendly activities. Central to the celebration will be three powerful initiatives — Kites for Peace, Wings of Hope and The Family Workshop. These projects embody the theme Regrow and Rebuild, which defines Israel and its people.
Kites for Peace is a tribute to Aviv Kutz, who organized an annual kite festival, a 15-year tradition that is a gesture of peace to the people across the border from his Kibbutz Kfar Aza community in the Gaza Envelope. Kutz and his whole family were killed during the October 7 attacks just before the 2023 festival. However, his motto, “They send rockets at us, and we will fly kites,” remains a powerful symbol of hope amidst conflict. The community will participate in this message of resilience by decorating kites at the Yom HaAzmaut celebration and flying them outside during the festivities.
Wings of Hope is a companion memorial honoring the same family. Aviv’s wife, Livnat, was an artist who created installations of colorful wings made from recycled plastic toys, symbolizing the values of sustainability, creativity and a sense of optimistic community belonging — values that Livnat and her family embodied. After her murder, these wings became a symbol of beauty emerging from tragedy.
A new Wings of Hope installation will be created here in Cincinnati by the community during Yom HaAtzmaut and displayed permanently at the J. The wings will serve as a gathering place and a testament to a connected community, shining a light that reaches beyond the borders of the Kibbutz and Israel. Collection boxes for used plastic toys are placed around the community in order to gather the materials necessary to complete the installation. Community members are invited to participate by dropping off small used or broken toys at the J and other sites through April 17. You can find out more about all the events and register on the JCC website.
Tzach shares his closing thoughts, “We hope that these community-driven initiatives will bring everyone together during these challenging times and create a message of unity, resilience and hope.”
These Yoms initiatives are funded in part by JCCA as a part of the Mit-habrim program. Mit-habrim | מתחברים | Connections funding initiative, a partnership between JCC Association of North America and the Israeli Government’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism.
