RICHMOND, Va. -- At the recent Richmond International Film Festival, the film "Dead Sea Guardians" drew accolades and awards.
The film tells the heroic story of three men; an Israeli, a Palestinian, and a Jordanian, who came together as friends to swim across the Dead Sea. The initiative, which took years to plan, was an effort to save the historic body of water that is drying up from years of conflict and neglect.
Aside from the environmental impact, the group also joined together in a sign of solidarity for peace in the region.
Israeli Oded Rahav, the Founder and CEO of the environmental group Dead Sea Guardians, appears in the film talking about the importance of collaboration with friends from different regions. “There’s an expression that says ‘if you want to get there quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go with friends,’” Rahav says.
Rahav came to Richmond in early October to promote Dead Sea Guardians at the RIFF. Just days later, on October 7, the international terrorist organization, Hamas, crushed through the border and began a deadly rampage in southern Israel that killed 1,300 people. According to the Palestinian health ministry, nearly 1,900 people have been killed in Gaza as the Israel-Hamas war rages on.
In an email, Rahav tells CBS 6’s Tracy Sears, “ I'm glad to say that my family is okay, but unfortunately, I have many friends and families who are completely not. The loss of life is on a magnitude that is unimaginable.”
Rabbi David Asher, who presides at Keneseth Beth Israel in Richmond, says his family in Israel is also suffering from the devastating impact of war.
“I am struggling, my community is struggling, the Jewish people are struggling. Reach out to them,” Asher says with his voice trembling.
Asher says Rahav’s film speaks to the ongoing effort across the Middle East to maintain peace, despite political conflict between the Arab states and Israel, that threatens people’s freedom and way of life.
“Those who are seeking peace come together,” Asher says. “They want to demand peace; they want to develop friendships and we really hope that the Hamas terrorist organization gets destroyed in Gaza so civilians - Jews and Muslims and people of other faiths and persuasions - can live together with decency and civility.”
Asher’s congregation is also praying for the safe return of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old man who was abducted in Israel the night of a music festival. Goldberg-Polin and his family lived in Richmond before moving to Israel and have several friends and family in the region.
On Monday night, Asher says Governor Glenn Youngkin will be at the synagogue in a show of solidarity with the Richmond Jewish community. However, he says people of all faiths and backgrounds will also be at the event to show their support and to call for an end to the bloodshed that is destroying families.
“It’s a horrendous situation and my heart goes out to the innocent citizens of Gaza, who were right there along with the Jewish citizens of Israel, and were massacred,” Asher says.
While in Richmond, Rahav said he hoped his film would promote peace and environmental prosperity. For now, he says decisions are being made by the hour and the dire reality of war is beyond imagination.
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