Like most major world events, you probably know where you were, what you were doing and who you were with when you learned about the terrorist attacks on the Nova Music Festival and Kibbutzim across the South of Israel, the morning of Oct. 7, 2023. You remember the punch to the gut that hit when you realized it wasn’t just an attack at the Nova Music Festival. And you remember the weight that overcame when you realized the obstacles that would ensue, even before they happened.
As Jews, we are acutely aware that level of antisemitism our ancestors witnessed during the Holocaust didn’t end with the Holocaust; it’s survived and had been living in our world almost in disguise to everyone else. The subtle “I’ve never met a Jew before”, “but you still celebrate Christmas, right?” or hearing “they Jew’d me down” to anyone else would seem to be an innocent statement from someone who “just didn’t know better”, while we know exactly what they meant.
But those antisemitic tropes pale in comparison to seeing droves of people marching in the street wearing face masks, kaffiyehs, donning the Palestinian flag chanting “From the River to the Sea.”
We. Knew. Before. The. Attacks. Ended. What was in store for us. And we were right.
You’ve probably already heard about the movie October 8 but in case you haven’t, Director Wendy Sachs takes a look at the aftereffects of the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas. Specifically, way antisemitism spread like wildfire across the U.S.; on college campuses, in the streets, and on social media.
Showing interviews from celebrities like the film’s producer, Debra Messing, Michael Rapaport (who knew he was Jewish?), and Noa Tishby.
With them, we see Bari Weiss, Sheryl Sandberg, N.Y. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and N.Y. Rep. Ritchie Torres. And then there are the Jewish students who stood up to defend themselves and their fellow Jewish students.
It was a movie that, to be honest, I didn’t even know was coming out until my friend, Jeff told me the other day. I showed the trailer to my wife and 13-year-old daughter (who had just returned from two weeks in Israel with her classmates from HMJDS) and we immediately had to see it, though I had reservations.
Walking into the building I saw Ethan Roberts talking with some people, recapping their experience and thoughts. The theater was about half full at 4:30 on Sunday afternoon, albeit it was a smaller theater. We sat in our seats, seeing other Jews taking their seats, watched the previews and prepared for something we didn’t quite know to expect.
I won’t ruin it with spoilers, but to be honest, there aren’t any spoilers to give. We know what happened – we’ve watched it unfold before our eyes. Footage recorded by Hamas as they ravaged through homes, shooting aimlessly through walls, gliding through the sky into the wide open field full of concertgoers, bomb shelters blackened with burn marks from the fires that engulfed homes and families.
Our hearts sank. Even though we’ve seen photos and video, and heard stories, our hearts sank with each minute that passed by. After the movie ended, my family shared our feelings of what we’d just watched.
My daughter was angry – angry because to this day we hadn’t shared all of the details that had been happening on campuses; hadn’t shared all of the details from the attacks and angry with amazement that people could be following a terrorist group so blindly. Let’s also not forget that this was all too raw for her considering she had just been in Israel, no more than a week and a half ago, where they visited Kibbutz Nirim and stared through the barbed wire fences into Gaza, and spent a day in Tel Aviv, witnessing Hostage Square.
My wife, on the other hand, was in tears. Heartbroken to see the rows of faces that now line the grounds where the Nova Festival was held. Hearing the stories from interviewees of the friends they lost, the families who were peace activists and advocated for peace with their Palestinian neighbors, seeing the charred bodies that were left in Kibbutz Nir Oz.
And the one thing we all thought – “The sad thing is that those who will see it are the ones who don’t need to see it”.
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I’m going to start where my friend, Seth, ends. Jews do not need to see this film. We know the story already. Our non-Jewish friends and neighbors and colleagues need to see it. All of those who have remained silent need to see it. It sure would be easier if more theaters were showing this film. In the wake of performances by Jewish comedians (Michael Rapaport) and musicians (Matisyahu) being canceled, it wouldn’t surprise me if theater owners/managers around the country decided not to carry October 8 for fear of protest. The message is clear – go see this film while you can, but bring a non-Jewish friend with you.
I essentially had a private screening of October 8 the other night – there were 3 other people in the theater. As a documentary film, it is very well crafted and I am impressed with how cohesive it is. It is not groundbreaking nor does it have a giant plot twist. But it’s still riveting, despite allowing myself to be inundated with news and information about 10/7 every single day.
The film includes the usual cast of characters that we have seen since the Oct. 7 attacks, each one unapologetic about his/her Judaism and/or support for Israel. From Rapaport and Messing to Torres and Tishby, these are the public faces that we can rely on to say what we’re thinking. One of the touchpoints of the film for me is the brief interview with Rapaport. He talks about speaking at the March for Israel event in Washington DC in November of 2023. As self-aware as he can be, Rapaport questions how he became one of the bigger names at that march. He questions where the more famous Jews are, the A-listers. Where is Mark Zuckerberg or Michael Bloomberg? Where is Pink or Drake? Where is Adam Sandler and Natalie Portman? That took me 10 seconds. You, too, can rattle off prominent Jews in business, music, sports, film, fashion, etc. Where are they?
Another touchpoint for me was the interview with Deborah Lipstadt – former United States Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism. Since 10/7, we have witnessed an emergence of antisemitism coming from the far left. What has been missing from the discourse about antisemitism lately is the constant presence of antisemitism from the far right. Lipstadt visualized this very clearly and showed us all that the only thing this element of the far left and the far right have in common is the hatred of Jews. The far-right white supremacist movement in the United States is absolutely loving the current situation. As we talk as a nation of whether or not to deport pro-Hamas protestors, their white supremacist counterparts get a free pass. Republicans are seemingly very upset about the campus protests but don’t give a rat’s ass about Proud Boy or Oath Keeper rallies.
Since this film was completed before the Presidential election in November, it can’t really take sides. But there are at least three not-so-subtle references to President Biden and Vice President Harris maybe not doing enough to combat the explosion in antisemitism. I presume that if this film was completed, let’s say, right now, there would be a whole storyline about Donald Trump and how great he is while also ignoring the myriad of horrors he has already unleashed. The one-issue voters among us don’t care of course, but for me, it’s really hard to watch.
A really good documentary will give you a reason to take further action – whether by reading more about the topic or by taking some sort of action.
Go see this film while you can, but DO NOT go unless you take a non-Jewish friend. That’s your mission. Now go buy tickets.
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas is hosting a discussion at the Barry Family Campus on March 20. Check their website for details.
