Marina Sears saw an opportunity to help following a terrorizing moment and is doing so. The Weatherford resident made a trek across the world to help following the Hamas attacks in Israel on Oct. 7.
Now, she is bringing a movie to Film Alley in Weatherford that she says will give insight into the attacks and open some eyes. The movie, titled "Supernova: The Music Festival Massacre," will be shown at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 6. And the showing is free.
“I have given a lot of thought as to why this is so important for people to see, and I think I could talk for a couple hours on the importance of seeing this film,” Sears said. “I believe one of the most important reasons is that people only get their information from the news. Sometimes it leaves out the human factor.
“As we try to piece together in our hearts how a group, Hamas, could do such brutal things to other human beings, seeing and listening to live accounts makes it real, just not a story. Anti-semitism is a plague the Jewish people have suffered with throughout history. Seeing this film lets the Jewish people know that we will take our time to truly understand and to let them know they are not alone.”
"I am not a brave person, but when Oct. 7 happened, I began to pray and talk with others about helping Israel," Sears recalled. "Many discouraged me, many said, 'It would be impossible to get into the country.' But not giving up, I heard about Volunteers for Israel who teamed with Sar-El in Israel."
So she applied to help. In December she boarded a plane, all by herself, and went to Israel. She worked on a medical base with the Israel Defense Forces, being the hands and feet of the soldiers who were now fighting in Gaza.
One day, after working all day, they were asked to help put together the military vests for the soldiers.
"Everyone on my team volunteered to go," she said. "That was an amazing sight to see. I think we put together close to 800 vests. These vests were so heavy with a front and back bullet proof plate.
"Since my hands are small, I teamed with a guy who put the plates in, and I had to reach down and get the velcro out and then attach the velcro. It was a tight spot and after the evening was over, my hands were covered in blood. But we prayed over the vests, wrote encouraging words on the plates, and just put simple notes on them."
During that week, she experienced the Iron Dome (an Israel mobile all-weather air defense system) and even ran to a bomb shelter.
"I hugged workers whose children had just gotten orders to go to Gaza. They were in tears," she said. "All the while the news stories were of the protests going on back here in the states."
One afternoon, Sears was asked to preview a movie about the Rave concert.
There were two or more different areas that Hamas attacked on Oct. 7. One was the Kibbutzim (like subdivisions here in the United States) and the other was a concert that many young people from different countries were attending.
This movie, by Israeli films, was about the Massacre at the Rave. Of the hostages, 40 of them were from the Rave concert and over 370 concert goers were murdered and many more injured.
"After the preview, I was left in the room by myself, and I just put my hand over my face and wept," she said. "I thought to myself, everyone back home needs to see this movie."
Israeli films has allowed her to show the movie, and Mark Schulman, owner of Film Alley, gave her a theater. To get free tickets, email supernovaravemovie@gmail.com.
Born in 1956, Sears heard the horror stories of World War II and how the Jewish people were treated during that terrifying time in history.
When she went to college, she studied to be a history major, and had to read "Mila 18," a story of the Warsaw Ghetto.
"I was horrified. How could people be treated so awful?" she said. "As a Christian, I began to read and learn about people like Corrie Ten Boon and her family, who risked their lives in order to save Jews from the death camps, and I wondered what would I do if I were in their place? What would I do if the Jewish nation ever again faced annihilation? Would I have the courage to help?"
There to help, plain and simple
Sears remembers being asked while putting medical bags together during her recent trip if she has family in Israel, to which she answered no.
"They stopped and looked at me and said, 'Are you Jewish?' Again, I said no. Then they wanted to know why did I come here as a Gentile," she said. "I told them, 'Well, I came because I love the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I just believe the Jesus is the Messiah, and I want you to know that you are not alone.'
"One mother came over and started hugging me with tears streaming down her face."
Sears has been to Israel many times, but none of the trips affected her like this one. She said it changed her life.
"Seeing what I saw, experiencing the resilience, sorrow, and joys of the people of Israel is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life," she said. "It is my hope that I will be able to go again.
"Please, everyone is invited (to the movie). If you have a high schooler who plans to go to college, or a college-age person, please come. If you have any Jewish friends, please invite them."
As far as the age group the film is suitable for, Seals said, “Kids see so much today. I think anyone who is in high school or who is about to go to college should definitely see it.”
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