Seed the Dream Foundation and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia co-hosted an I Believe Israeli Women (IBIW) screening of “Screams Before Silence,” a documentary that chronicles evidence of sexual violence committed by Hamas operatives during their terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
The community event was part of Seed the Dream Foundation and Jewish Women International’s IBIW initiative. It was held on Sept. 25, shortly before the first anniversary of the Hamas attacks and atrocities.
“We chose to screen ‘Screams Before Silence’ in Philadelphia now to further amplify the voices of Israeli women and men still enduring the trauma of Oct. 7,” said Marcy Gringlas, co-founder and president of Seed the Dream Foundation. “We are days away from marking one year since Oct. 7—101 hostages remain in Gaza, among them 10 women presumed to be alive—and the sexual violence continues to be denied and distorted. It is essential that the stories of survivors and victims are heard and believed.”
IBIW was launched in response to the sexual violence committed on and after Oct. 7, and is a global community of people who stand in solidarity with Israeli women; work to counter the denialism and disinformation; and fight against terrorism that threatens the security and human rights of women.
The documentary film includes firsthand testimony from released hostages, survivors and first responders detailing the sexual violence that occurred during and after the Oct. 7 attacks on Israeli towns and at the Nova music festival.
“We are proud to partner with Seed the Dream Foundation to maximize our impact to ensure that women’s voices are heard and that women have a path forward for healing and recovery,” said Sarah Bernstein Solomon, chief development officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. “As we approach one year since Oct. 7, it’s more important than ever that we continue to tell these stories.”
The screening was followed by a discussion between Gringlas and Nimrod Palmach, CEO of ISRAEL-is and a reservist in the Israel Defense Forces, who gave a chilling overview of what he saw and experienced on the ground that day.
Palmach, who sprang into action after hearing word of the attack and saved lives in southern towns and kibbutzim, provided a harrowing account of what it was like engaging with Hamas in Kibbutz Alumim.
“I will never forget the carnage I saw that day,” he said. “I saw the Holocaust. So many dead bodies, many mutilated. I saw it all—women who appeared to have been raped, dead kids in cars, people burned, some with body parts, some without.”
