Heartfelt dialogue in a dangerous time

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This article was published 19/10/2023 (1063 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For Joel Chasnoff, the events of Oct. 7 began when he heard about a lone rocket attack in Tel Aviv, not far from where he lives.

“I just remember seeing it one step at a time, thinking each time that it was over. That was it, one rocket. That was it, one terrorist,” says the American-born author and comedian, who will host a conversation about Israel Sunday night as part of Tarbut: Festival of Jewish Culture.

The rocket would be one of 2,200 Hamas fired at south and central Israel that day, part of the militant group’s co-ordinated attacks that led to more than 1,400 Israeli deaths, about 200 civilians taken hostage and more than 2,700 Palestinian deaths in Gaza owing to Israel’s response.

“Then, slowly in the news, we heard there might have been a terrorist in the south of Israel who had gotten in,” he says. “It took hours for the full scope of the story to develop but as we did it became more horrifying.

“Now we look back and we have so many questions about how did it happen. Those questions will have to be answered.”

The tremors from the fighting in Israel and Gaza have been felt in Winnipeg. Vivian Silver, a peace activist and humanitarian originally from the city, is missing, believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas from a kibbutz near Gaza.

The effects of the attacks are also felt at Tarbut, which begins Saturday night and runs until Oct. 28.

Chasnoff, a standup comedian, author and former member of the Israel Defense Forces, was scheduled weeks ago to perform Sunday night at the Berney Theatre in a lighthearted evening about 21st-century Israel, describing his life as a soldier in one of the world’s most dangerous places.

Instead, he hosts the festival’s most timely event, an evening of conversation, stories and reflections about Israel.

“I think the reason this is such a fraught time is because, aside from the tragic events, Israel means so much to many of us, especially those who are attending (the festival),” Chasnoff says. “A conversation means that I’m not doing a show, but that every so often I’ll be pausing to ask other people to chime in and share thoughts about their connections to Israel and how those connections formed and why they’re still so strong.

“The one thing that continues to surprise me is how many people not in Israel have some sort of a connection to people in Israel who have been affected by this tragedy.”

Chasnoff and his family were physically unharmed, but like many Israelis and people all over the world, they have struggled with psychological trauma from the the shock of the attacks and the graphic footage on social media of Israelis taken hostage or killed at a music festival marking the Sukkot holiday, where 260 civilians were slain.

Chasnoff, whose 2010 memoir The 188th Crybaby Brigade: A Skinny Jewish Kid from Chicago Fights Hezbollah details his year serving in south Lebanon in 1997-98, will share his memories about the IDF and the life of an ordinary soldier.

”Israel’s army is unique because everyone goes in when they’re 18, so it’s not anonymous faces that are fighting this war,” he says. “It’s our sons, our daughters, our fathers — and in some cases grandfathers have an important job, and they’re in their 60s and have grandkids.

“In Hebrew we say it’s an army of the people, and as a former soldier, I think I can bring some insight into what that means, to be a soldier in a country where an attachment between citizens and soldiers is so strong.”

Israel has received criticism for its response to the Hamas attacks, but Chasnoff says the world is beginning to realize, after seeing the brutality of the actions, why Israel has reacted the way it has.

“For me, so many saw that it’s a clear-cut situation,” he says. “Hamas purely wants to get rid of Israel as a Jewish state — it has nothing to do with liberation and freedom-fighting, and the world is seeing that.

“I think people are smart enough to connect the dots and see that this isn’t about liberation. It’s about hatred.”

Chasnoff, 49, says he’s aged out of military service; Israel phased out the tanks he served in 25 years ago. His theatre of operations today is in theatres like the Berney, and he’s glad to take on the duty of communicating with those concerned about Israel’s future.

“We live in a world where the war is not just fought on the ground, it’s fought on social media, online and in conversations,” Chasnoff says. “Just giving people a space to talk and heal and be amongst our own is important too.

“I’m not being called up, but I’m doing my part.”

Alan.Small@winnipegfreepress.com

X: @AlanDSmall