OCTOBER H8TE – SCREENING & TALKBACK WITH FILMMAKER WENDY SACHS

In this urgent and prescient documentary Emmy-winning filmmaker Wendy Sachs and executive producer Debra Messing explore the alarming rise of antisemitism and anti-Israel activism across the United States in the wake of the Hamas massacre on October 7. As Israel mourned the loss of over 1,200 lives and faced the abduction of 250 hostages, a surge of anti-Israel demonstrations swept through American cities and college campuses, often crossing into blatant antisemitism.

The film unpacks how America reached this critical moment, where some view Hamas as freedom fighters instead of terrorists, and how social justice movements have aligned themselves with a violent and reactionary cause. With visceral footage, October H8TE highlights the intensifying campus antisemitism and the growing challenges Jewish students face in asserting their identity. From a Cornell professor expressing excitement over the attacks, to Jewish students being harassed and threatened at Harvard, UCSB, and Columbia, the documentary paints a disturbing picture of the climate on American campuses.

Featuring prominent voices like Debra Messing, Michael Rapaport, Mosab Yousef (son of Hamas’s co-founder), Sheryl Sandberg, Scott Galloway, US Rep. Ritchie Torres, US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, US Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, Dan Senor, Noa Tishby, Bari Weiss, and a survivor from Nir Oz, the film investigates the deep-rooted connections between Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, and raises urgent questions about the future of Western democracy.

Compelling and thought-provoking, October H8TE is an essential watch that not only chronicles the aftermath of October 7 but also asks hard-hitting questions about the future of discourse on antisemitism and freedom of speech, underscoring that this issue transcends Israel and the Jewish community – it’s a fight for the very principles of freedom and democracy.

After the screening, we will be joined for a discussion with its director, Wendy Sachs, and Nimrod Erez, the film’s editor.

Wendy Sachs is a modern multi-hyphenate. A passionate storyteller, she is a documentary film director and producer, an Emmy award-winning network television producer, writer, former Capitol Hill press secretary, media relations executive, and the author of the critically acclaimed Fearless and Free: How Smart Women Pivot and Relaunch their Careers and How She Really Does It: Secrets of Successful Stay-at-Work Moms. Wendy has been recognized by MAKERS and was also named in 2017 on Forbes.com as a “40 Over 40 Woman to Watch.”

The film’s run time is 99 min.

TRAILER
All seating is first come, first served.

Israeli Talent Grants are part of the מתחברים | Mit-habrim | CONNECTIONS funding initiative, a partnership between JCC Association of North America and the Israeli Government’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism.

Questions? Email support@jccsf.org