Documenting the Fight Against Hate and Intolerance

The stories we tell about Jewish identity can preserve history, challenge stereotypes, and create space for more nuanced conversations about what it means to be Jewish today. Two riveting new documentaries explore how personal storytelling can also confront prejudice and combat antisemitism. In John David Coles’s The Choice, Holocaust survivor and psychologist Dr. Edith Eger connects with Iris Haim, whose son Yotam was a victim of the October 7 terrorist attacks. In Re/Pair, director Lacey Schwartz Delgado brings together Black and Jewish thinkers and cultural figures for candid conversations about their shared history, points of difference, and how they can build understanding and solidarity today.

This special PaleyImpact program will bring together Coles, Schwartz Delgado, along with participants from both films for a timely conversation examining the intersection of Jewish identity, representation, history, and memory through the lens of documentary storytelling. The filmmakers will discuss the personal experiences that shaped their stories, the responsibility of documenting Jewish life and history, and the role of film in creating space for difficult, but necessary conversations. Together, they will consider how personal storytelling can preserve memory, challenge assumptions, and foster greater understanding within and beyond the Jewish community.

This program is made possible by generous support from The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation  |  Richard Edelman  |  Ronnie and Michael Kassan.

Part of Paley's ongoing series, Media's Role in Combating Antisemitism.