HHow do you spark awareness about antisemitism and its consequences among students who believe it has nothing to do with them? This question became the starting point for an audiovisual commemorative exhibition at Universidad Torcuato Di Tella. The goal was to create a space where students and faculty could pause, learn, and immerse themselves in the reality of October 7. In doing so, it allowed them to see with their own eyes the hard truths that words alone fail to capture.
The idea was brought to life through close collaboration with the Embassy of Israel in Argentina and its Defense Attaché Office, which provided the institutional audiovisual content and exhibition materials, in partnership with the university’s Student Union. The event took place on November 28th and had its doors open for four hours. During that time, visitors moved through a space intentionally designed to foster understanding. The exhibition included candles with the names of fallen victims, videos illustrating the tragedy, a tribute to the heroes who saved lives amid the catastrophe, and visual works from the ANU Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv. Together, these elements constituted the core of the experience. More than 65 students attended the exhibition. For many, it was their first close encounter with the events of October 7 and with the contemporary history of the Jewish community. The space naturally evolved into a platform of dialogue, bringing together Jewish and non-Jewish students who shared questions, perspectives, and reflections. Even after the exhibition tour ended, students often remained outside, continuing these exchanges. University authorities and faculty members also visited the exhibition, including the university’s Rector, the highest academic authority, the Executive Dean, and several law professors. Many attendees left the exhibition deeply moved, with a renewed interest in learning more about what happened on that dark day and about the presence of contemporary antisemitism.
Following this response, the next goal is to work alongside the Jewish Student Union in Argentina, the Asociación de Universitarios Judíos Argentinos (AUJA) to replicate the project at other universities across Argentina. Ultimately, the experience offered a clear response to the question that inspired it. Antisemitism is never truly distant. Hatred, in all its forms, is a shared threat, and when indifference is challenged through education, awareness can be transformed into responsibility.