Every shot, dribble, and pass will continue their legacy – this is the driving force behind a crowdfunding campaign dedicated to commemorating the Kutz family from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, who were tragically murdered in the October 7 attack. The campaign’s goal is to renovate the basketball court at the Green Village boarding school, where the family’s children once trained.
The outdated court will undergo a complete transformation, turning it into a vibrant educational space that preserves the legacy of Jonathan (16) and Yiftach (14) Kutz, whose lives were guided by values of excellence, love of sports, hope, and community. As part of the initiative, scholarships will be awarded in their name to children from underserved communities.
The crowdfunding campaign was launched on March 13, 2025, which would have been Jonathan Kutz’s birthday. Within just 72 hours, over 500,000 shekels were raised, with 14 days remaining to reach the full funding goal.
The Kutz family – parents Livnat and Aviv, along with their children Rotem, Jonathan, and Yiftach – were brutally murdered in the safe room of their home during the massacre at Kfar Aza. They were found embracing each other, a heart-wrenching symbol of Hamas’s cruelty – a family completely wiped out. Now, their bereaved relatives, the Kutz and Levy families, are leading this initiative to honor their memory.
Basketball and Hapoel Tel Aviv were central to the lives of Jonathan and Yiftach. Both were members of Hapoel Tel Aviv’s youth division and lived at the Green Village boarding school, where they trained at the club’s basketball academy.
For them, the court was more than just a playing field – it was a home that instilled values, a space to aspire and dream, and a source of unforgettable personal and athletic growth. The renovated facility will serve not only as a sports venue but also as an educational hub promoting perseverance, teamwork, and excellence – improvements, a modernized design featuring tributes to the Kutz family, a new court floor and stands, and the transformation of the facility into a community center fostering leadership and values among youth.
This project joins a series of initiatives led by the Kutz family’s relatives, who have been tirelessly working to memorialize their loved ones since October 7. Among the most notable is the “Buba’s Wings” project, which involves creating colorful wings from old toys, crafted by communities worldwide. This initiative was inspired by the late Livnat Kutz’s original community art installation – wings displayed on a shelter wall in Kibbutz Kfar Aza in the summer before the massacre.
'Outpouring of support'
“The outpouring of support for this project is deeply moving,” said Ziv Levy, Livnat Kutz’s brother. “For example, the Green Village boarding school has committed to awarding annual scholarships in the Kutz family’s name, totaling 100,000 shekels, to young people from Israel’s social and geographic periphery. These scholarship recipients will be required to give back to the community, embodying the values that defined the Kutz family. Additionally, Kav L’Chaim, a nonprofit organization, has partnered with us to facilitate donations, and contractor Gideon Aloni from Dubinsky Construction is covering costs and securing discounted supplies to bring this vision to life. Many others have joined us, touched by the family’s story and determined to preserve their memory.”
Organizations interested in contributing can donate through the Kav L’Chaim nonprofit. The general public is invited to support the campaign via the Giveback crowdfunding platform by Headstart. Donations can be arranged through this link.