A Must-See

Recently, I watched on The Movie Channel the film documentary We Will Dance Again. It was the result of a joint United States, United Kingdom and Israel collaboration. For thirty excruciating and emotional minutes it recounts the bloody events of the Hamas and Palestinian attack on Israel on October 7^th at the Nova Music Festival. There were terrifying scenes of the murder of the 364 Israelis who were slaughtered, and the hostage-taking where 40 victims from the festival were abducted into Gaza.

The film’s structure presents footage of the panic, the struggle to survive, the shock of the chaos, and the loss of friends all interlaced with stark, candid narration by several survivors. These traumatized witnesses heroically to the audience what they experienced and what will no doubt haunt them forever.

In early February 2025, my wife and I hosted an Americans For Ben-Gurion University parlor meeting at our home in Florida. We listened intently to speaker Eitan Halley, a recent BGU engineering graduate, retell his story of surviving the horrors of the Nova Music Festival massacre. There at our home, he sat at one end of the living room and quietly told his story to our friends who were arrayed in front of him. They struggled to listen. They squirmed and dropped their heads. They cried. It was that vivid.

Eitan, it turned out, was one of the primary narrators featured in the film described above. He shared how he hid in the same bomb shelter as the hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin who was ultimately murdered in the tunnels of Gaza. They both threw back Hamas grenades tossed into the cramped space. After seven hours, Eitan was rescued and eventually was driven past the carnage to a hospital.

Because of Eitan’s candid, gut-wrenching presentation I waited anxiously to view the film. We Will Dance Again depresses, enrages, overwhelms your senses, and takes your breath away. I say this despite that my wife and I were well acquainted with the war. In May 2024 we had visited the site of the Nova Festival, saw the mountain of destroyed cars and walked through groves of trees that are easily seen in the film. In December 2023 we walked through the ruins of Nir Oz. We have also heard presentations from survivors, families of hostages, and parents of soldiers lost in the war. We have been to IDF funerals and made shiva calls. We were familiar with the events and the personal struggles, but the film was still very powerful.

No, We Will Dance Again isn’t as graphic as the limited released 2023 47-minute video Bearing Witness to the October 7^th Massacre. That was produced by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, and it aggregated real-time, extremely violent, raw bodycam footage from Hamas invaders. It is sufficient to know that the film is also called “the atrocity film” and “the film of horrors.” It is not available for general viewing.

While viewers of We Will Dance Again need to be cautioned, for many it is a must-see.

It seems to me that the American Jewish community’s awareness of the October 7^th events, the hostages, the war in Gaza and the pro-Hamas riots plaguing college campuses was initially heightened, there is already a drift away from the focus on Israel’s prosecution of the war, its suffering and the risks it faces. They must continue to rally behind Israel. The film will reinforce the necessity to stand strong with Israel as they do battle with monsters.

In our comfortable American world with the minute-sized sound bites, we are overwhelmed with distractions and our own little lives. People are distracted by other causes and priorities. Some are still fuming over the 2024 elections and continue to question Israel’s prosecution of the war. They look for imperfections in the current Administration’s impressive lineup of pro-Israel leaders.  They weigh in on the Israeli debate over their Prime Minister and other internal matters like judicial reform. For these people, We Will Dance Again is a must-see.

Why do we hear questions over Israel’s negotiations and internal debates? Why do we hear questions about delivery of supplies, water and electricity to the still-Hamas controlled Gaza Strip? Why are some so distraught over the visuals of the collateral damage? I am amazed just how many of the unaffiliated, uncommitted  Jews are experts in urban warfare and are unconvinced when experts marvel at Israel’s care in fighting in the tightest and harshest of combat environments. They must have graduated from West Point without our knowing. For these people, We Will Dance Again is a must-see.

Why do we hear from otherwise silent, apathetic Jews outraged over the Ukraine-Russia conflict? I now see Facebook posts about the Ukraine mayhem and endgame, and about President Zelensky from Jews that haven’t posted anything about Israel’s seven-front fight. They were silent about the nefarious actions of the ICC, UNRWA and anti-Israel NGOs. They conveniently dodged the issue of how President Biden conditioned support handcuffing Prime Minister Netanyahu. Critiquing candidate Harris is also off limits for them. For these people, We Will Dance Again is a must-see.

The face of an enemy is hard to visualize. We Will Dance Again makes clear who is that enemy. The John Lennon tune Imagine pitches “…a world of peace…” that is easy listening but is decoupled from reality.  Too many tend to simplify and deny Palestinians’ deep-seated hatred. Too many want to universalize allowing all religions and civilizations the benefit of the doubt. Too many don’t dig into the particulars of religion and nationhood. They carefully avoid the details of the conflict, into Islamic dogma, and they permit cozy feelings to transcend hard facts. It’s tough work to do the learning and it is too easy to allow your favorite broadcaster to sell you a convenient paradigm that comports with their larger political agenda.

When you come across a person who doubts monsters swarm on Israel’s borders, tell them to take 30 minutes to watch We Will Dance Again. It is a must-see.