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Kites For Hope Activity

Tags: Inspiration and Hope, Israel Under Fire, Activities, Art Activities, Solidarity, Jewish Unity

By Ondria Camile Rees

Many Jews are scared to talk about Israel or to go outside if they even have on a Star of David necklace, let alone being completely visually Jewish (kippah, tzitzit, headscarf). The fear is palpable for some, while directly felt by others, thus creating a divide among our global Jewish community somewhat based on their direct, indirect, or invisible exposure to hatred against our people. But the terror is there, it is real, more tangible in some places than in others, but one thing is clear - more actions must be taken to stand up for Jewish rights.

Israeli boy with peace kite

The Kites For Hope activity was crafted as a response to the wave of terror happening in Israel in the form of explosives attached to kites flying in from Gaza, but now we are expanding the meaning of this activity to respond to Jew-hatred all over the world and give Jews everywhere a chance to participate in a fun and beautiful expression of our hope and endless fight for resistance against the Jewhatred of the world, whatever disguise it may take shape.

Whether fire kites are flying or missiles are falling on our brethren on the border, the acts of solidarity by Jews around the world can make a huge impact. They demonstrate our continued hope for peace, and our unwillingness to bend under the outside pressures we may even feel from those around us with regard to our support for Israel.

Every kite flown has its own message, and every person flying a kite has the potential to feel they are making an impact by swaying public opinion to recognize the suffering the ongoing terror of Hamas and the Palestinian propagandists are causing to hundreds of thousands of innocent Jews, Christians, Muslims, Arabs, Druze and Bedouin who are traumatized by the endless attacks.

A great activity for parents and kids, campers and counselors, ANYONE who wants to raise their kites high in the sky for Israel, for justice, for freedom.

Who is this for?
This can be an excellent community activity where you can demonstrate your solidarity with our Jewish nation everywhere. It can also be a simple activity you do with your own children to have a carefree experience while at the same time expressing your solidarity with Israel.

Every kite flown has its own message, and every person flying a kite has the potential to feel they are making an impact by swaying public opinion to recognize that even though the global Jewish population only makes a fraction of percentage, hate crimes are massively disproportionate towards Jews, and we will be strong and band together against the hatred. 


INSTRUCTIONS: HOW TO BUILD YOUR KITE FOR HOPE

MATERIALS:

  • A large plastic bag or large paper - you can use the Israel Forever designs offered here or make your own!
  • ¼ inch wooden dowels (2)
  • Small hacksaw
  • Gluestick
  • Tape
  • A lot of kite string
  • Scissors
  • Pieces of cloth or bows for the kite tail
  • Sewing needle

STEPS:

1) Take your dowels and cut one 32 inches long and the other one 24 inches long

2) Make notches on all four ends of the dowels

3) Take kite string and place both dowels together to make the shape of a lower-case “t”. The shorter dowel will be 10 inches down the longer one and tie a huge knot where they cross

4) Run kite string from one notch of a piece of dowel to another notch, to another notch, to another notch, until the string makes a diamond shape around the dowels; reinforce with tape

5) Take your paper or plastic bag material and trim about an inch around all sides of the kite body to make a paper or plastic diamond

6) Fold over the excess paper or plastic onto the kite string and glue it down

7) Make your own design on the kite

8) Put some clear tape on top of the design just above where the two dowels meet

9) Use a needle to punch through the tape

10) Take kite string and wrap around the dowel, insert it through the needle-made hole, and have the string go all the way down to become the tail of the kite

11) For the parts of string on top of the paper, tape it down and the rest will be the kite tail

12) Attach pieces of cloth or bows at the end of kite

Here is the kite template:

Check out another Kite Making Template

Show your solidarity, pride and hope today and everyday!


The most powerful thing you can say to someone in distress is: "You are not alone."

Find your way of building Jewish unity with our great programs! From Letters of Friendship to our global community, there are so many ways we can make a difference TOGETHER!

About the Author

Ondria Camile Rees
Ondria Camile Rees is a proud Jew by Choice, having converted in 2013. On Birthright Israel in June of 2016 she fell in love with the country, and made aliyah in 2020. Over the summer of 2018 she interned for the Israel Forever Foundation, and has been a VCI Ambassador ever since. After completing her degree in design and her aliyah, she drafted into the IDF in 2021.

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Tags: Inspiration and Hope, Israel Under Fire, Activities, Art Activities, Solidarity, Jewish Unity