Dear Friends:
The documentary “We Will Dance Again” about the October 7 massacre at the Nova Dance Festival in Israel started streaming yesterday on Paramount+. Keleigh and I watched it yesterday and although it is not easy to watch, we both encourage you to view it if you have access to this streaming service.
The film, directed by Yariv Mozer, features interviews with survivors of the massacre as they describe the horrors they saw, their efforts to escape the Hamas terrorists, and the deaths or kidnappings of their friends and relatives. It also shows cellphone video footage from the interviewees taken as the massacre unfolded, security camera footage from the area, as well as Hamas propaganda videos and GoPro footage from Hamas participants in the massacre. The documentary focuses only on the Nova festival, not the simultaneous attacks on kibbutzim and towns in the area.
The violence shown is extremely graphic although the faces of victims are blurred out. It is shocking to hear terrorists appeal to “God the Merciful” before opening fire on people whose only sin was attending a dance festival in Israel. The sheer joy that the murderers take at their actions is truly shocking; it is hard to believe that human beings can behave in such a way, particularly when they claim to do so in the name of God.
To his credit, Mozer does not shy away from the failures of the Israeli security establishment on October 7 (festival goers called for help and it took six hours for the police and eight hours for the IDF to arrive) and the fact that almost a year later there still has been no official inquiry into what happened. He also acknowledges the heavy price paid by the Palestinian civilian population of Gaza from Israel’s response to the Hamas massacre.
As we approach the one year anniversary of the massacre, I would also encourage you to attend our community’s “Evening of Remembrance, Resilience, and Hope for a Better Future.” It will be held at 7 pm at The Anthem, 901 Wharf St., SW, in the District. Attendance is free but pre-registration is absolutely required for security reasons.
Go to https://www.shalomdc.org/event/october-7th-gathering/ for more information and to register.
As a reminder, I am having drop-in hours on Thursday afternoons from 2 to 4 at the shul. For my drop-in hours, you do not need to make an appointment -- that would negate the whole point of drop-in hours -- but I’d urge you to check and make sure I am there regardless as sometimes there are unavoidable pastoral or other emergencies which might take me away from the building.
As always, if I can do anything for you or you need to talk, please contact me at rabbi@kehilatshalom.org or 301-977-0768 rather than through the synagogue office. I am happy to meet you at the synagogue by appointment; if you want to speak with me it’s best to make an appointment rather than assuming I will be there when you stop by.
Additionally, if you know of a Kehilat Shalom congregant or another member of our Jewish community who could use a phone call, please let me know.
L’shalom,
Rabbi Charles L. Arian
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