All About Change

Abraham Hamra: A Syrian Jew Challenging Stereotypes

All About Change

Show Notes

Abraham Hamra knows the historic plight of the Jewish diaspora better than most. At six years old he was separated from much of his family, unsure if he’d ever see his grandparents again.

He was among the last Jews left in Syria, and just a year after announcing Jews could leave Syria for the US, the Assad regime reversed course, and said the remaining Jews were stuck. Abraham and his family were trapped.

Eventually, the policy was reversed and Abraham was able to reconnect with his family in the US, and eventually with the rest of his extended family living in Israel.

Now, alongside a successful career as a lawyer, Abraham advocates for Israel on social media and on the streets of New York. He speaks widely about not letting Jews get bullied anymore, and he lives what he preaches. It’s time to hear some motivation from one of the strongest — and loudest — Jewish voices in America.

Abraham and Jay talk about how, in America, Abraham has grasped and now wields Jewish strength, how he teaches other Jews to do the same. Abraham shares about the support he has received from his professional colleagues, and the shocking lawsuit he has had to file to protect his reputation.

Today's episode was produced by Tani Levitt and Mijon Zulu. To check out more episodes or to learn more about the show, you can visit our website Allaboutchangepodcast.com. If you like our show, spread the word, tell a friend or family member, or leave us a review on your favorite podcasting app. We really appreciate it. All About Change is produced by the Ruderman Family Foundation.

Episode Chapters

0:00 Intro

1:19 How do Abraham’s colleagues feel about hist social media presence and activism?

3:31 Coming at anti-semitism from a Jewish-Arab POV

6:42 Abraham’s lawsuit against Al-Jazeera

13:47 Beit Debate

17:58 Goodbye and Outro

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Jay’s brand new book, Find Your Fight, in which Jay teaches the next generation of activists and advocates how to step up and bring about lasting change. You can find Find Your Fight wherever you buy your books, and you can learn more about it at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.jayruderman.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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