Bouquets of flowers spread hope for hostages from Tel Aviv to US

First came the yellow ribbons, tied to every tree, light pole and anything else standing, in support of the hostages held in Gaza. Then bouquets of yellow flowers began appearing for sale every Friday for the last six weeks in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, to raise funds for efforts to bring the hostages home.

Now, the so-called Bouquets of Hope are coming to vases in the US as well. Beginning last Friday, people were able to purchase the flowers in New York and South Florida, as well as Tel Aviv.

All proceeds from the bouquets go directly to the efforts being made by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum to save the 128 hostages in Gaza.

In Tel Aviv, buyers pay the Forum directly through the Bit money transfer application, while in the US, the bouquet purchase can be made through Apple Pay or credit card.

In Manhattan, the bouquets will be available at 3 Sutton Place, across from the home of United Nations chief Antonio Guterres. They will also be available at the David Posnack JCC in Cooper City, Florida, outside Fort Lauderdale. Additional locations will be added after Christmas.

Beyond raising money, the flowers are a way to keep the topic of the hostages front and center, spoken about at the dinner table, said Avraham Kadar.

The former pediatrician, immunologist and entrepreneur’s Kadar Foundation first conceived of the yellow flower bouquets, and purchased thousands of flowers for each location.

The flowers are purchased from growers near the Gaza border communities and other areas of the country.

“For more than two months, dozens of Israelis are held hostage in untenable conditions in Gaza and we are praying for their return,” said Kadar.