BOULDER, Colo. — The Boulder Jewish Film Festival is underway at the Dairy Arts Center with more than a dozen films to draw community members in.
But in the weeks since Hamas' deadly attack and now, the war between Israel and Hamas, organizers say the festival's message of education and tolerance is needed more than ever.
"It just really creates a more tolerant society, it creates greater understanding and that's always been our mission," said Kathryn Bernheimer, founding director of the Boulder Jewish Film Festival.
Now in its 11th year, the Boulder Jewish Film Festival has been bringing the community together sharing stories from around the world about the Jewish experience.
After the horrific events over the past few weeks in Israel and Gaza, Bernheimer said these stories need to be shared now more than ever.
"Our tickets went on sale Oct. 6 and on Oct. 7, we woke up to some very, very distressing news," Bernheimer said.
Hamas' deadly attack on Israel nearly one month ago killed more than a thousand people. The attack sent shockwaves around the world.
"My husband and I are both children of Holocaust survivors so the atrocities were just so shocking and disturbing to us and to everyone," Bernheimer said.
In the days that followed, the war began between Israel and Hamas. And with it, waves of antisemitism spread around the world and here in the U.S.
"It's horrifying, it's scary," Bernheimer said. "And what's since then been even scarier is the 400% spike in antisemitic incidents and activity, the fact that there are people supporting the massacre of the Jews and calling for more."
The Anti-Defamation League reported since the attack by Hamas on Israeli citizens, antisemitic incidents around the US spiked 388% compared to last year.
Bernheimer said that's exactly why there's a need for events like the Jewish Film Festival.
"And I actually feel like it's a wonderful opportunity. You can say, what bad timing. But on the other hand, what good timing that people have some place to come and explore some of the ideas that foster understanding and that's really what we're all about," Bernheimer said. “We’ve always celebrated diversity and practiced inclusion. And we’ve always wanted to show stories that bring humanity of human beings as they live their lives to light. And that’s really what we do."
By bringing the community together over stories of heartbreak, humanity, music and love, Bernheimer said they can educate, enlighten and inspire the Colorado community about the Jewish experience.
"Our mission has always been to foster understanding of the Jewish experience around the world and throughout history," Bernheimer said. "And we do that by sharing stories that illuminate our shared humanity."
In the wake of the attack by Hamas, Bernheimer said they've added two short films to the festival lineup, The Boy and Sirens.
"The first is a short, it’s a 25-minute short called the Boy and the filmmaker, Yahav Winner, was born in a kibbutz in Israel, in Kfar Aza and he made a film about life there. It’s about a father and his traumatized son. And it’s a very touching, beautiful 25-minute film,” Bernheimer said. "Well, on Oct. 7, Hamas terrorists burst into his bedroom where he and his wife and one-month-old daughter were sleeping. He fought them off long enough that she could escape with the child."
"They hid under horrific circumstances for 27 hours without food or water, smoke inhalation before being rescued. She did not know whether he had disappeared and she was being interviewed on Israeli TV when she found out he was dead, he was slaughtered on the same kibbutz where he was born, where his film is set," Bernheimer said. "So his film now is very haunting because you see the experience of living just a few kilometers from the Gaza border."
The Boulder Jewish Film Festival returns Sunday with films at the Dairy Arts Center from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m. The festival continues until Nov. 12.
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