Approximately 50 people braved the icy weather and treacherous roads to convene at Congregation Ohav Emeth (OE) in Highland Park on Sunday morning, Feb. 9, for a screening of the film “Tragic Awakening.” Presented by Central Jersey Stands With Israel, the event featured a presentation and Q&A with producer Raphael Shore, founder of OpenDor Media and author of “Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Jew: Learning to Love the Lessons of Jew-Hatred.”
Rabbi Eliyahu Kaufman of OE said he was thrilled and honored to host the showing of this film that has been well-received by audiences. “It is important for people to see the film and get a better understanding and be more aware of the roots and underpinnings of antisemitism,” he said.
Event organizer Rivka Sonts of Highland Park had first heard of Shore’s work years ago and found that the topics of his documentaries resonated with her personal beliefs and philosophies. “The film presents the facts and supports core values that give proud Jews the ability to know themselves and the resilience to speak out in the face of hatred,” she said. Sonts added that she is proud to help Shore organize more screenings and allow the word to spread.
Highland Park Mayor Elsie Foster attended the screening and described the film as “an eye opener” that presented the origins of antisemitism from a different perspective and provided a lot of fuel for thought. Borough councilperson Matt Hale was also in attendance. “The film was an incredibly powerful message. Antisemitism has been around for a long time, but the video puts a new perspective on the origins and source of the hatred in a message that we need to hear.”
Many in the audience were unaware that the sources of Jewish hatred went as far back as Mount Sinai and the presentation of the Ten Commandments. The message of bringing goodness to the world and the concepts of a universal morality goes against authoritarian regimes and ignites antisemitism.
Shore noted that this was the 18th documentary he has been involved with. Having started looking into the origins of antisemitism 40 years ago while a student at the University of Toronto, he began preparing the films to present his insights to the Jewish people. For most of the period, Jews were not ready or willing to receive his message about the insidiousness of Jew- hatred. Things began to change about four years ago, and certainly more so after the events of Oct. 7. “‘Tragic Awakening’ is a post-Oct. 7 film rethinking antisemitism’s roots while turning hatred into strength for Jewish identity and western values,” said Shore.
To schedule a screening or to find local events, visit raphaelshore.com/tragic-awakening.
Deborah Melman is a staff writer at The Jewish Link.
