Zionist influencers, activists tackle rising antisemitism at Oct. 7 documentary screening

Jewish Zionist social media influencers and activists attended a Monday screening of the documentary October 7, Voices of Pain, Hope, and Heroism, which delves into the October 7 massacre and kidnapping of the hostages.

The documentary, produced by the Aish Jewish organization, previously premiered in early August, where it included unseen archive footage of the October 7 attacks.

Split into five separate stories, the film features the parents of those who were victims or taken hostage on that day and also explores the resilience of the Jewish people. It was first released on Tisha B’Av.

The film premiered at Jerusalem's Kirk Douglas Theater and Manhattan's AMC Theater. The documentary also had independent screenings in more than 100 cities worldwide and on many college campuses in the United States.

The screening in Jerusalem was followed by a panel with Zionist social media influencers, both Jewish and non-Jewish, discussing Jewish identity amid the rise in antisemitism. One of the panelists in Jerusalem was Israeli comedian Matan Peretz, who said, "The masks are off now. What started as people attacking Israel or attacking Zionists has now spread to people attacking Jews."

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'It has made things a lot worse'

Panelists did note the significant role social media has played in the recent rise of antisemtism.

"We wondered how people could turn on Jews so easily in Germany 90 years ago, and some thought it was because there was no way to spread the truth of what was happening; there was no social media," said Peretz. "But now, social media has made it so much easier to spread Jew-hatred, and it has made things a lot worse."

Further, some members of the panel commented on how inescapable antisemitism is, even for Jews who are more assimilated. Tanya Zuckerbrot, a panelist in Manhattan, noted the fate of assimilated Jews in the Holocaust.

"There has always been resiliency in the fabric of who Jews are," said Zuckerbrot. "But we forgot our history, and we all thought that we had become highly assimilated once again. But looking back at what took place in Germany, the Nazis still came for you even if you were assimilated. I don't think we were aware just how pervasive antisemitism still was."

Panelists were asked to offer concrete suggestions for moving forward. Their suggestions included taking on positive actions each year on October 7, supporting fellow Jews and Israeli businesses, deepening personal faith, and engaging in political advocacy to ensure continued support for Israel.