The goal is to raise awareness about the Oct. 7 attack and counteract increasing antisemitism on campuses.
By Shiryn Ghermezian, The Algemeiner
To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Columbia University hosted on Sunday night a screening of “Screams Before Silence,” a documentary hosted by former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg about sexual violence committed by Hamas terrorists during their onslaught.
In the 60-minute documentary, Sandberg interviews eyewitnesses, released hostages, first responders, medical and forensic experts, and survivors of the Hamas terrorist attack about the women and girls who were raped, assaulted, and mutilated by Hamas terrorists, in some cases while being held captive in the Gaza Strip.
Sandberg, who is also the founder of LeanIn.org, said in an Instagram post following the screening at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs that “Screams Before Silence” is going on a college tour this fall and will be screened at more than 100 college and university campuses.
The goal is to raise awareness about the Oct. 7 attack and counteract increasing antisemitism on campuses in the US. Sunday night’s screening at Columbia was the official kickoff of the film’s tour across campuses.
“It’s hard to believe that we are here. And it’s more important than ever that students are able to openly discuss the atrocities Hamas committed on Oct. 7 and its aftermath — without fear of intimidation or aggression because of who they are or what they believe,” said Sandberg.
“I hope these screenings continue to be a place for civil and productive discourse.”
After the screening at Columbia University, which was coordinated in collaboration with Columbia/Barnard Hillel, Sandberg moderated a panel discussion with Sheila Katz, the CEO of the National Council for Jewish Women, Israeli journalist Nadav Eyal, and professor Magda Schaler-Haynes, who teaches health policy and management at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
“We talked about the widespread refusal to condemn Hamas;s sexual violence — including a story I heard that students are walking around some campuses with “rape is resistance” stickers on their laptops,” Sandberg said.
“We also discussed the rise of antisemitic incidents on campuses: 73 percent of Jewish college students experienced or witnessed antisemitism in the last school year. This scary reality hit close to home when I dropped my child at college a couple of months ago and saw a campus stall with a big sign that read ‘Safety and Security for Jewish Students.’”
“All of us have a role to play in making sure that sexual violence is never used as a tool of war,” she added. “Rape is never resistance.”
Watch the trailer for “Screams Before Silence” below.