By Amy Joseph Landon
During challenging times, it feels natural to want to be around people and places that make you feel safe. Such has been the experience over the last few years, and the last 18 months, in particular. Amid rising antisemitism, Jews have been joining together more often and seeking ways not only to feel solidarity but also acting to combat hate. That act of being together was on full display with the Federation’s showing of the film October 8.
With the limited screenings of the documentary film available in Louisville, many members of our community requested that Jewish Federation screen the film at the Trager Family JCC. The screening and follow-up discussion were held on May 19 before a sold-out audience in the Shapira Foundation Auditorium.
The film documented the protests that emerged immediately following the horrific attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, both on college campuses and in the spread of the pro-Palestine and anti-Israel movements in the United States. The film shared important lessons on how social media helps spread misinformation and hate, and how the world’s inaction following October 7 has worsened divisions among our student populations, and beyond.
After the film, JCRC Director Trent Spoolstra led a Q&A session with two college students: Elliot Gross who attends Columbia University, and Talia Sommer who attends Butler University. They spoke of the impact the fraught climate has had on their college experiences. Though their experiences were different, their common message was that even during these challenging times, they were still able to find a home within their Jewish communities on campus.
Elliot and Talia described attending Jewish holiday programming and finding their chosen families, building a vital support system for themselves. Both students also echoed that they found their most important conversations about this emotional topic to be one-on-one or in small groups. They both quickly learned that wading into the fray of protests only ends up dividing people further – in some ways a stark contrast to the content of the film.
Having seen the film both in the theater with a small group of staff and community volunteers and again at the Trager Family JCC, I was reminded of the importance of bringing people in our community together for conversation. There were some members of our community that expressed concern about the film, but the event still demonstrated one of the Federation’s core missions: being a convener and encouraging lively, relevant, and respectful conversation representing a variety of viewpoints.
Amy Joseph Landon is Senior Director of Marketing & Communications at the Jewish Federation of Louisville and the Trager Family JCC