Boonsboro — the tranquil, picturesque hamlet in Washington County located about an hour from Baltimore and nestled at the foot of South Mountain — is not known for being a Jewish mecca.
In fact, I’ve never heard of any “members of the tribe” living there or of any shuls operating in Boonsboro (although nearby Frederick has boasted a thriving Jewish community for well over a century). A town of approximately 3,800 souls, Boonsboro is best known for being the home of the first monument honoring George Washington and for its locally grown “Heart of Gold” cantaloupes, as well as its proximity to the Antietam National Battlefield and the Appalachian Trail.
But over the weekend, I found myself walking through Boonsboro and finding a scrap of hope there for the Jewish people.
Strolling down Boonsboro’s North Main Street — which is also known as the historic National Road – I happened to notice a house where the Israeli flag was displayed proudly and waving in the breeze. Just out of curiosity, I checked and there was no mezuzah on the doorpost while the porch was adorned with Easter decorations. (Presumably, the resident is a Christian who simply wants to show their love and support for the Jewish state.)
I clung tightly to that recent memory while watching the documentary “October 8” a day later. Directed by Wendy Sachs and executive produced by actress Debra Messing, the documentary opened in theaters around the country on Mar. 14. (The film is currently being shown at the AMC White Marsh 16 and the Regal Majestic in downtown Silver Spring.)
“October 8” is a difficult film to watch, not because of graphic images from that horrific morning of Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists massacred more than 1,200 Israelis and others.
Instead, what is disturbing to take in is the lack of compassion and sensitivity exhibited by seemingly the entire planet in the wake of the worst tragedy to befall the Jewish people since the Holocaust. At times, the level of vitriol and downright hatred toward Israel and Jews in general is shocking and infuriating.
“October 8” features Jewish celebrities like Messing, actor/comedian Michael Rapaport and tech executive/philanthropist Sheryl Sandberg talking about the deafening silence from Hollywood and other gravitational centers of power regarding the Hamas attack. (In one particularly moving scene, Sandberg recalls asking a close non-Jewish friend hypothetically if she would “hide” her if something like the Holocaust is ever perpetuated in America.)
Of course, the media reports showing irate protesters around the nation at anti-Israel demonstrations and chanting antisemitic tropes on college campuses and elsewhere are upsetting, as is learning about how so much of that sentiment was fomented by external sources. (After all, how does one explain how one of the most apathetic generations in history became so politically radicalized in such a short period of time? As the film points out, there are no mass demonstrations against China for its brutal oppression of Uyghur Muslims, are there?)
But perhaps the most heartbreaking scenes in the documentary — besides the footage of the areas in southern Israel terrorized by Hamas — are of young American Jewish college students who talk about how they were isolated, intimidated, bullied, attacked and vilified by their peers for their support of Israel or for simply being Jewish. (Ah, the magic of social media.)
Yes, the movie is depressing and disturbing in many ways. But it also leaves room for hope. Despite the concerted effort to “globalize the intifada,” the viewer hears from elected officials like Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-New York) and Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-New York) who speak eloquently and passionately about why the explosion of antisemitism and anti-Zionism is a threat to democracy and human decency everywhere.
Particularly mind-blowing is Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of a co-founder of Hamas, who talks courageously about the inherent evils of the terrorist organization.
Only briefly is the suffering of Palestinians really touched upon in the film. Standing at the site of the Nova concert massacre, MIT student Talia Khan – whose mother is Jewish and father is Muslim — speaks of Palestinian victims of the conflict and suggests that all human beings should have the right to live in peace and without fear.
“It’s not an either/or,” she says tearfully.
Critics will say that “October 8” is merely a propaganda tool for the pro-Israel lobby and community that fails to scratch at the source of the Middle East conflict. I’m not confident that any documentary could address that complex subject in an adequate, evenhanded and comprehensive manner, especially given our short attention spans these days.
But the film is an important and well-crafted statement about the times we’re living in and the coordinated, orchestrated campaign of antagonism and hate toward Jews that has transformed anti-Zionism and antisemitism into a commonplace phenomenon.
By all means, go see “October 8.”
And God bless our friends in Boonsboro.
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