UUCPA Recommended Exhibit: County of Santa Clara Displays “Honoring the Children of Palestine. They deserve to play” Memorial To Honor the Children Killed

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County of Santa Clara Displays “Honoring the Children of Palestine. They deserve to play” Memorial To Honor the Children Killed.  SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA – On Monday, February 2, the County of Santa Clara in partnership with The Palestinian Heritage Committee (PHC) brought forward the art installation “Honoring the Children of Palestine. They deserve to play,” to recognize the over 64,000 children who have been killed or maimed across the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank since October 7, 2023. The installation – co-sponsored by the Arab American Cultural Center of Silicon Valley, Soul of My Soul Exhibit and The American Muslim Voice Foundation –  will be on display through the month of February, giving community members the opportunity to pay tribute to all of the children who have suffered: those killed in the struggle, those struggling to survive amidst severe medical conditions, intentional starvation, incessant bombardment, and immense trauma, and those striving to support their families back home. Based on a January 13 report from the United Nations News division, alongside the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), there is “roughly a girl or a boy killed every day during a ceasefire,” by way of airstrikes, drone strikes, tank shelling, or live ammunition. The installation includes symbolic Palestinian themes, including reference to a 2011 event in Gaza where more than 15,000 children flew kites on the beach, setting a Guinness world record, and a list of the first 2,780 names of the children lost in Palestine in the first 19 days since October 7, 2023; tragically more children were killed in the first five months of the Gaza genocide than flew kites in 2011. Visitors will have an opportunity to fill out messages and share their thoughts.  Samina Sundas, one of the organizers, shares that this installation is an important step for our broader community members to fully grasp the impacts of the Gaza genocide on our youngest generation. “Palestinian children, like all children of the world, deserve a childhood filled with safety, humanity, joy, play, love, and family. We take this time to acknowledge their pain and struggles and honor them with respect,” Sundas shared.
As Sundas shared, kites have become a symbol of freedom, resistance and resilience for the Palestinian community. Additionally, they emphasize what is sorely missing for many Palestinian children: an opportunity for a childhood. “The world makes exceptions when it comes to Palestinian children, dehumanizing them as if they are less deserving than other children,” she said. “All children deserve to play and have the right to a normal childhood – a safe and happy childhood that’s often lost to Palestinian children living in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.” The installation is available for viewing Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM throughout the month of February on the First Floor of the County Government Center outside of the Isaac Newton Senter Auditorium, 70 W. Hedding St., San José, CA 95110. On Wednesday, Feb. 11, the organizers also invite community members to join for a midday reception in honor of the installation, beginning at 12 PM. The event will include further discussion about the children of Palestine. A documentary titled Flying Paper will be shown to those in attendance. The midday reception will take place on Wednesday, February 11th, from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM at the Isaac Newton Senter Auditorium at the County Government Center. Please reach out to the D3 office’s Director of Communications Grace Stetson for further information.