Emotional screening of Nova Festival documentary at JCoSS
'It shares the explicit truth not influenced by the media': sixth form students at Barnet secondary school stunned into silence by horrors of October 7th BBC film
An assembly room at a Jewish secondary school in Barnet fell silent following a preview screening of the BBC documentary on the October 7th Nova Music Festival massacre.
Present alongside 100 JCoSS sixth formers and their parents to watch the groundbreaking film, were survivor Ziv Abod, together with Moshe and Shira Shapiro, whose son Aner Elyakim Shapira, 22, died after a heroic stand-off with Hamas terrorists, throwing back eight grenades hurled into the shelter where 27 young people were hiding. He did not survive the ninth grenade.
Aner, great-grandson of a signer of Israel’s Declaration of Independence, was a close friend of 23-year old Hersh Goldberg Polin, found murdered by Hamas terrorists in a tunnel in Gaza alongside five other hostages, Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Ori Danino, 25; Alex Lubnov, 32; Carmel Gat, 40; and Almog Sarusi, 27.
Goldberg-Polin, Yerushalmi, Lubnov, Sarusi and Danino were taken from the Nova music festival. Gat was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri.
A passionate musician, some of Aner’s work has been posthumously released by his friends and family in a mini-album titled “Anerchism.”
Ziv’s boyfriend Eliya Cohen was kidnapped and remains a hostage in Gaza after 358 days.
Year 13 student Sara told Jewish News: “This documentary put into perspective the atrocities that took place in such a short space of time. Seeing it visually like that made me scared all over again, even though it was so different to when I heard about it in real time.
“I was overcome with an unexpected feeling of empathy towards our people; the fact that they were only mildly surprised that this was happening to them shocked me. I feel it is so important that something like this is out there, it shares the explicit truth not influenced by the media. Although it was incredibly hard to watch, I am so relieved that I have this information about that day. I feel I am now more equipped to share my opinion and express my feelings to others about October 7th.”
Fellow Year 13 student Annie said: “This documentary was both deeply respectful and heartbreaking. It sensitively portrayed the victims stories, honouring the lives of those we lost and the unimaginable suffering faced by the communities and families affected. While it was emotionally overwhelming, it captured the tragedy with empathy and care for those caught in the conflict. It showed the world, as explained by a survivor, that this is no longer a political war but a humanitarian war. It is crucial to show the world what truly happened, help prevent future violence and contribute to justice and healing for everyone involved.”
Sara Levan, Director of Jewish Life at JCoSS told Jewish News: “It was a profoundly moving event and an immense privilege to be able to welcome Moshe and Shira Shapira along with Ziv Aboud into school and to be able to have a conversation with them about their experiences and their loved ones. It is at moments like this that JCoSS shows how it is so much more than a school – that it is a real community.”
- Watch Surviving October 7: We Will Dance Again HERE
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