(Courtesy of Aish) A powerful new documentary highlighting the experiences of Jewish college students facing antisemitism on American campuses drew approximately 170 attendees at its recent screening in Livingston on Sunday, March 30.
“Frontline Warriors” follows the personal journeys of three courageous students: Shabbos Kestenbaum from Harvard University, Eden Yadegar from Columbia University and Eli Tsives from UCLA, each of whom faced and stood up against antisemitic harassment, encampments, and various forms of discrimination on their respective campuses. The film was produced by Aish and is part of the organization’s mission to support students on campus in their fight against antisemitism.
The screening attracted a diverse audience including high school and college students, community leaders and local residents, all united in their concern about rising antisemitism in educational institutions.
“The feedback was tremendously positive,” said COO Global of Aish Rabbi Elliot Mathias, one of the film’s producers and the event organizer. “People thought that it was super important to see this film, not only to shine a light on the problem that’s happening but also to give people encouragement that we can stand up against this hate.”
The documentary serves not just as documentation of troubling events but as an inspiration for action. Rabbi Mathias noted that “Seeing young people who are on college campuses standing up against this hate, not always being supported but having the strength and willingness to stand up for Israel and the Jewish people, gave a lot of strength to everyone and inspired many who watched the film to realize that we can all play a part in combating antisemitism.”
The screening in Livingston had a talkback panel following the film, which included Kestenbaum. After the event, Kestenbaum, who himself is running for the World Zionist Congress with the Aish Ha’am slate, spoke about why so many students are joining slates and running in the World Zionist Congress. “Jewish American students are not tomorrow’s leaders, they are today’s leaders. While we experienced discrimination firsthand, we are using our narrative to ensure young voices are represented at the World Zionist Congress in order to help combat antisemitism and strengthen our own Jewish identity and that of others.”
The film, which has thus far had 15 public screenings in different cities around the U.S. and Israel, all of which were met with rave audience reviews, will have another screening in Tenafly on April 4, which is the final scheduled public screening for the tristate area. An additional five public screenings are being planned for other cities around the United States.
“The Frontline Warriors” is a documentary film chronicling the experiences of Jewish college students confronting antisemitism at prestigious American universities. Through personal stories and firsthand accounts, the film highlights both the challenges these students face and their determination to stand against hatred. It was produced by Aish staff, including CEO Rabbi Steven Burg, COO Global Rabbi Elliot Mathias, and CCO and Global Spokesperson Jamie Geller.
The film is also available online at the following link for those wishing to see it: frontlinewarriorsfilm.com.
Additional public screenings can be organized upon request. Simply click on the above link and then click on the “host a screening” button.
