In 2019, an Israeli project launched for Holocaust Remembrance Day, called Eva's Story, made headlines worldwide. The experiences of Eva Heyman, a Jewish child murdered in the Holocaust, were brought to life through Instagram stories and received vast engagement. Now, following the Hamas attack on October 7, a similar project is set to begin on Instagram, based on real video footage captured that Saturday.
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The project was initiated by the Israeli Spirit Civil Advocacy Group in collaboration with Yona Wiesenthal, who produced the Eva's Story campaign. The project's goal, according to its staff, is to reach audiences that Israel has a hard time reaching, with an emphasis on American youth and young adults.
A specialized Instagram page titled "Holiday Horror Story" will be launched on Thursday, where consecutive story posts featuring footage of the events of October 7 will be shown, with some that have not yet been released to the general public.
"There were no social media platforms during the Holocaust, while the horrors of October 7 were documented and broadcast live for all to see," explained Eliav Batito, head of the Israeli Spirit Civil Advocacy Group. "We created a historical documentation illustrating the scope of the disaster."
"Especially in these days when we see the denial of the events of October 7 and the crimes, rape and atrocities that took place, we must share and remind the world what really happened. Our goal was to replicate the success we had with Eva's Story and reach youth through a platform which they frequent most."
Wiesenthal, who was selected to lead the project, added: "Our greatest challenge is how to reach American youth who don't understand what's happening in Israel. Through comprehensive and thorough investigations, we've collected a large number of materials and footage and used them to create a unique storyline for Instagram that reflects the events of October 7."