Nachum welcomed filmmaker, author and human rights activist Rabbi Raphael Shore to this morning’s JM in the AM to discuss his latest film and book on the shocking rise of antisemitism.

The film Tragic Awakening: A New Look at the Oldest Hatred details how October 7th has produced a new wave of Jew hatred, one that requires a new understanding of the motives of anti-Semites. Alongside a series of public screenings and discussions to be hosted across the US in the coming months, Tragic Awakening will also be available online.

The film release is accompanied by Rabbi Shore’s first book, Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Jew, inspired by the same thesis that explains that historical and contemporary antisemitism are motivated in large parts by fear of the positive aspects of Jewish identity, rather than classical interpretations that have long sought to explain why people hate Jews.

What distinguishes the film and book from others is not only its surprising and unambiguous answer to the question of “Why The Jews?”, but its profound insights into who the Jews are and why their story matters.  Rather than focusing on the negative story of Jew-hatred, it highlights the positive – Jewish strength and resilience.