From Ground Zero: Stories from Gaza

A powerful screening of the beautiful Palestinian film, From Ground Zero: Stories from Gaza, on Long Island today, a collab between Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock and the Muslim Community of Nassau County.

It was a full house, maybe 200 people or more. The screening was preceded by a sumptuous Palestinian lunch and followed by a dynamic discussion with panelists Moe Elsherbiny, Esther Farmer and Samantha Jaser. It meant a lot to me, as the moderator and one of the organizers, that all three panelists are Palestinian. Such representation is critical at a time when Palestinian voices are being suppressed, censored, or completely erased.

The movie is a collection of shorts filmed in Gaza by Gazan filmmakers. It took everyone’s breath away. I sat in the audience during the screening and people were transfixed. Many around me sobbed quietly as they watched and listened to one testimony after another. During the discussion, we excavated some of the themes that came up frequently in the short films. Our panelists were brilliant and gave the audience much more to consider and chew on. It was the kind of event where one feels viscerally connected to the audience, where one goes on an intellectual and emotional journey together. It’s incredible. To more such events and conversations on Long Island <3