New film examines oldest hatred: antisemitism

As antisemitism continues to run rampant in the streets of Europe and in communities around the United States, the groundbreaking new film, Tragic Awakening, gives viewers a new look at the oldest hatred.

Produced by The Aseret Movement in collaboration with Rabbi Raphael Shore, the film presents a new answer to the age-old question of why Jews are the disproportionate targets of virulent and obsessive hatred.

The film centres on the personal experiences of Arab Zionist Rawan Osman, who channels her unique perspectives and challenges viewers to ask why antisemitism is often so quickly embraced and perpetuated. She also explores the dangers of antisemitism to the world at large.

Rabbi Shore, an acclaimed filmmaker, author, educator, and founder of OpenDor Media and The Clarion Project, has developed hundreds of projects dedicated to shaping public discourse around Jewish identity, antisemitism, radical Islam, and human rights.

“My goal with this film wasn’t to simply chronicle the experience of Jew-hatred because that is something that we know exists and we know has only grown exponentially over the past year,” Shore says. “My objective was to explore the far more important question of why antisemitism exists in the first place, and share the positive message about who the Jewish people are and how we can all be part of making the world a better place.”

In-depth interviews with academics, legislators, and media analysts, combined with footage and commentary from thought leaders, Tragic Awakening reaches the fundamental conclusion that antisemitism is less an issue of hating Jews and more an issue of opposing what Jewish values represent to the world.

“We’re raised and educated to believe that people hate Jews for religious, social, or political reasons,” says Rabbi Shore.

“While those are certainly catalysts for specific outbursts, those explanations fall short of truly understanding the real motives behind antisemitism, and in so doing, we fail to combat it effectively. Today, more than ever before since the Nazis were defeated, we are forced to discover ways of finding greater tolerance in our world. We are completely delusional if we think that hatred of the Jews will end with the Jews. We are always the canary in the coal mine, a harbinger of what’s to come for the entire civilised world.”

Alongside a series of public screenings and discussions hosted across the United States, Tragic Awakening will also be available online.

The film is complemented by Rabbi Shore’s first book, Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Jew? Finding Clarity and Connection in the Face of Jew-Hatred, which further investigates the film’s central thesis.

“As Jews, we have long been forced to look on as the world hates us, never truly understanding the motivation for this hatred or why we have been constantly victimised. By discovering real answers, we are afforded a sense of clarity, and ironically, a sense of pride, crucial to addressing these challenges on local, national, and global levels. Jew-hatred isn’t going away, but it certainly can be far better understood and effectively confronted.”