Inside Israel’s protest camp

Welcome to my first video post. It’s non-stop innovation here at Szego Unplugged: no boo boo this time! Esther Takac is a Melbourne-based filmmaker, author and psychologist, who I first met eons ago when she responded to a column I wrote about the challenges of reading the Book of Genesis to my kids by sending me her beautiful, award-winning book, Genesis: The Book With 70 Pages, a “how-to” manual for introducing the young to the foundational text of our civilisation. No-one could accuse Esther of flinching from weighty and confronting subjects. As a psychologist, she deals with trauma and children across the world, including as a consultant to the Paediatric Department at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem. Trauma, and its transcendence, informs her filmmaking too. First in The Narrow Bridge, a much-lauded documentary, which explores the emerging relationships between Israelis and Palestinians bereaved after losing loved ones to the conflict. (The documentary, widely screened and broadcast internationally will feature at the United Nations film festival next month.) Her latest film, Rising: Voices of Protest and Hope, tracks central figures in Israel’s street protests against the Netanyahu government, the most far-right in the nation’s history. From the mass opposition to the government’s flagged judicial overhaul, to the horrific shock of October 7, to the weekly rallies for the release of hostages in Gaza — the people Esther profiles could write the book on resilience and faith. The film is timely as Israelis go to the polls next month in what’s routinely described as one of the most consequential elections since the establishment of the state. Esther and her subjects believe democracy itself is on the ballot — and I don’t disagree. That said, Esther and I sometimes disagree on matters Israel, which is why I enjoy talking to her so much; she argues non-judgmentally and with an open-mind. Today we discuss trauma and grief, how she navigated an Israel bleeding after October 7, her response to the eruption of Jew-hatred in Australia and her fears and hopes for Israel’s future. And yes, at times we disagree. Rising screens at Classic Cinemas in Elsternwick, Melbourne, on Sunday 27 September at 7.30pm: a panel discussion on Israel’s future will be held afterwards. Tickets and more information:https://events.humanitix.com/rising-special-melbourne-screeningRising Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/RisingDocFilm Click here to watch a trailer. Szego Unplugged is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit szegounplugged.substack.com/subscribe