Lecture by Zohar Orbach

Location | BHS Sanctuary

The October 7th War changed everything. Typically, when conflict erupts, Israelis sideline culture and entertainment: "When cannons roar, the muses fall silent" is the common saying. But this time was different: Israeli culture responded instantly, from high art to pop. Stars stepped up, organizing impromptu shows for refugees and soldiers, creating a new phenomenon.

As Israelis grappled with catastrophe as the new normal, their pop culture mirrored this confusion, often with bizarre and fascinating results.

In The lecture "When War Becomes Content," we will investigate all these themes through memes, music, and even trashy TV signifying resilience. It's an aspect of endurance rarely celebrated, but perhaps it should be. Through this pursuit of normalcy, we might better understand our experiences of the past year.

Zohar Orbach is an Israeli movie critic (working for leading news websites and other publications), a lecturer and a podcaster for KAN - Israeli Broadcasting Public Corporation. Graduated summa cum laude from the Steve Tisch School for Film and Television in Tel Aviv University, Zohar is a longtime advocate for cinephiles in Israel. And he has been leading for the past couple of years dozens of live screenings of cult classics in front of large audiences.

Co-sponsored by JAFI - Jewish Agency for Israel