What it means to have words—and to lose them.
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Photo courtesy Youmna ElSayed, pictured here with her husband and four children.
Prologue
Act One
The Speaking Part
The story of a woman from Gaza City who ran out of words. Seventy-two days into the war, Youmna stopped talking. (27 minutes)
We first heard Youmna on Al Jazeera’s podcast The Take.
Act Two
Toska
For years there was a word that Val’s mother did not want to use. Val sets out to figure out why. (22 minutes)
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Postscript
In Israel and Gaza, children are directly facing the fact that the adults around them cannot protect them. (4 minutes)
Act One: A Slow Decision Process That’s Mostly But Maybe Not Completely Over
For one kibbutz-dwelling family in Israel, the decision of where to land after the October 7th attacks goes back and forth… and back… and forth.
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