Episode #579
IGAL HECHT: WHAT HAPPENS AFTER OCTOBER 7TH? THE UNTOLD STORY OF WOMEN OF KFAR AZA (AUDIO)
In this episode of 'The Avrum Rosensweig Show' you'll hear a story about extraordinary courage, resilience—and above all, humanity. Our journey takes us to the communities of southern Israel, including Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the places profoundly affected by the events of October 7, 2023. This is a story about what happened after October 7. What happens when the bullets stopped? What happens when the headlines move on? What happens to the people who are left behind—to the mothers, daughters, wives, friends and neighbours who suddenly find themselves without the homes, security and sense of belonging they once took for granted? At the centre of this extraordinary story are a group of women from Kfar Aza. They lost homes. They lost loved ones. They lost the security of a life they had known. And yet, somehow, they continued. They continued raising their children. They continued caring for one another. They continued trying to rebuild their lives—and, perhaps most importantly, they continued asking one of the most fundamental questions a human being can ask: Where do we belong? Directed by Israeli filmmaker Dotan Nave, and produced and edited by our guest today, acclaimed Canadian-Israeli filmmaker Igal Hecht, the film follows these women over more than two years. Igal began documenting their lives just three weeks after October 7. He stayed. He watched as the immediate shock and devastation gave way to something much more complicated: the long, painful process of trying to rebuild. And because he remained with them for so long, we don't simply see the aftermath of a tragedy. We see people. We see tears. We see anger. We see fear. But we also see laughter, friendship, love, determination and extraordinary strength. The women became connected through a WhatsApp group, supporting one another when so much of the world around them had been shattered. And their story raises questions that go far beyond Israel. What makes a place home? Is home a house? Is it a community? Is it the people around us? And what happens when the place you called home no longer feels safe—or no longer exists in the way you remember it? Can you ever truly go home again? And if you cannot, how do you create a new sense of belonging? Igal Hecht is uniquely equipped to tell this story. Born in Ashkelon, Israel, he moved to Toronto with his family as a child and went on to build an extraordinary career as a Canadian-Israeli filmmaker. As the founder of Chutzpa Productions, he has been involved in more than 50 documentaries and more than 20 television series, tackling subjects ranging from identity and human rights to some of the most difficult chapters of recent history. Following October 7, his work became particularly personal. His documentary The Killing Roads examined the attacks that took place along southern Israel's Route 232 and Highway 34, bringing together survivors, first responders, bereaved families and firsthand footage. Igal has described that film as the hardest documentary he has ever made. And now, with Where Do We Belong?, he turns his camera toward something different—but equally profound: What does survival look like after the world has changed forever? This is not simply a film about victims. It is a film about human beings. It is about dignity. It is about friendship. It is about community. And ultimately, it is about a question that every one of us can understand: When everything familiar has been taken away, where do we belong? Ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased to welcome to The Avrum Rosensweig Show an accomplished filmmaker, documentarian, producer and storyteller—and the producer and editor of Where Do We Belong? Igal, welcome to the show. —— The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— Join this channel to get access to perks: / @avrumrosensweigshow Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram: / avrumrosensweigshow TikTok: / avrumrosensweig #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow #WhereDoWeBelong #IgalHecht #October7 #KfarAza #KibbutzKfarAza #Israel #IsraelDocumentary #IsraeliStories #DocumentaryFilm #HumanStories #StoriesOfResilience #Resilience #HopeAfterTrauma #FindingHome #JewishStories #BearingWitness #TheAvrumRosensweigShow #AvrumRosensweig


