DENVER — A ‘30 days of mourning’ ceremony in Denver’s Washington Park Sunday raised awareness for the Israeli children being held hostage by Hamas with a display of empty strollers.
The show of solidarity was organized by Miri Kornfeld with StandWithUS Colorado, an organization that supports Israel and fights antisemitism around the world and the Israeli-American Council to commemorate 30 days since the beginning of the current Israel-Hamas war.
“If you ask any mother in Israel right now, or any Jewish mother in the world, or any mother who has a heart…we aren't sleeping,” Kornfeld said through her tears.
As a mom of two young twin boys, Kornfeld said she knew she had to do something.
After seeing a news article about moms in London standing together outside the Houses of Parliament with empty strollers displaying the photos of young faces taken by Hamas, she knew she had to bring the idea to Denver.
On Sunday afternoon, each stroller in Washington Park had a photo with the name and age of a child. Countless household items represented the more than 240 other hostages taken by Hamas into Gaza.
Those who attended the ceremony left white flowers for the hostages.
“You see your child in these children,” Kornfeld said.
Colorado’s Attorney General Phil Weiser spoke at the event, along with several other Jewish leaders across the Denver metro.
Alice Kaderlan, who attended the rally, said she feels hopeless 30 days into the Israel-Hamas war.
“For all children on both sides, it’s hard to tell if they will ever see any kind of peace and anything less than war,” Kaderlan said.
Organizers marched through Washington Park, hoping it would not only bring comfort to the community in mourning, but also sharing a powerful message one month into war.
“Bring back our kids, bring back our hostages,” Kornfeld said.
All of the strollers will be donated to a women’s shelter in Denver for mothers in need.
