See 'October 7': A play in their own words

Written by Phelim McAleer, the play ‘October 7’ – with performances now through June 16 at the Actors Temple in New York – tells the story of Israel’s darkest day by using the compelling and dramatic accounts of those who lived through it performed by a cast of 14. ‘October 7’ is a 100 percent verbatim play consisting entirely of stories from those who were there. The interviews were conducted by veteran Irish journalists McAleer and Ann McElhinney who traveled to Israel in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.  

‘October 7’ brings together accounts from those who experienced Oct. 7. Their experiences may have been different, but all were changed by that day. In ‘October 7’ the play, we meet young and old, secular and religious, people who were with family and those who were at a dance party when the unthinkable happened. 

Director Geoffrey Cantor offers this note: Oct. 8, 2023. The front page of the New York Times reads “Palestinian Militants Stage an Attack on Israel.” The Washington Post declares “Israel ‘At War’ After Hamas Attack.”  What is shockingly absent, what neither headline includes, is language that accurately describes what happened the day before. Nothing calls it what it was.

On Oct. 7, terror came to Israel, with a level of precision, and on a scale she had never experienced before. The terrorists targeted civilians, women, children, and peace-loving concertgoers. They committed acts of such extreme savage brutality that they defy imagination. For Jews, it was an emotional atomic bomb, the impact of which sent shockwaves that rocked and shook the souls of our people around the world. Including me.

I’ve felt helpless in the face of what has happened since that day. And those who would politicize or justify what happened that day, or even deny that it happened at all, spin the false narratives that have been flying through the ether of social media, screamed on college campuses, and poisoning the reporting of news since the October 8. Israel is constantly demonized, and those who simply believe in her right to exist are now the villains and oppressors of the world. The result is an exponential rise in overt antisemitism, considered by some to be just what we deserve. 

But then this came along — the opportunity to do something positive in these turbulent times. Daunting in scope, it has been both an empowering and truly humbling experience. 

‘October 7’ is testimony — a collective sharing of traumatic memory. It isn’t political. It isn’t commentary. Our only job was to find the balance between the devastation of what these people experienced, and the incredible force of hope and resilience that they embody, and to share that with the audience through the truth of their words. We committed ourselves as a company to ensure that the authentic voices of these remarkable people are heard so that others might be touched by their humanity and extraordinary resilience. 

This is a Paid Post by October 7 – The Play, a historic opportunity to bear witness to the tragedy and heroism of those who endured Oct 7, in their own words.

JTA’s editorial team had no role in its production.