My Israel Narrative

Izzy Sakhaie

We are facing unprecedented times. As a people. As a nation. I made Aliyah 3 years ago, making a home for myself in Israel. Now, as I find myself back in America, I am once again seeking to understand This is not a time to run to fear. It’s a time to stand strong and dig deep to understand our personal and collective role as a Jew and, how we connect to Israel. My Israel Narrative is my journey to answer these questions. And in doing so, to hopefully help others do the same.

  1. Rabbi Raphael Shore: Learning To Love the Lessons of Jew Hatred

    16/12/2025

    Rabbi Raphael Shore: Learning To Love the Lessons of Jew Hatred

    In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Rabbi Raphael Shore—acclaimed human rights activist, filmmaker, and lifelong educational entrepreneur. As founder of OpenDor Media and the Clarion Project, Rabbi Shore has shaped meaningful public discourse around Jewish identity, antisemitism, and the resilience of Israel through 18 documentaries and 500 educational videos that have been viewed over 150 million times.His most recent projects include the documentary Tragic Awakening: A New Look at the World's Oldest Hatred and the book Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Jew? Learning to Love the Lessons of Jew-Hatred. In this conversation, Rabbi Shore challenges us to see antisemitism not as senseless hatred, but as resistance to the very ideas and values Jews carry into the world.We discuss:-Why our enemies often understand us better than we understand ourselves-The real reason antisemitism is universal, enduring, and intense-What Hitler actually understood about Jewish identity and mission-What it means to truly own our mission and message as Jews-Why pride, not just survival, is the foundation of Jewish resilienceThis conversation isn't just about understanding antisemitism—it's about rediscovering who we are and what we're here to do.Learn more about Rabbi Shore's work:-Rabbi Raphael Shore: https://raphaelshore.com-Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Jew? book: https://a.co/d/3OAopzq-Tragic Awakening documentary: https://raphaelshore.com/tragic-awakening-The Clarion Project: https://clarionproject.org/-OpenDor Media: https://opendormedia.org/

    53 min
  2. Ysabella Elisheva Hazan - We ARE Israel

    28/08/2024

    Ysabella Elisheva Hazan - We ARE Israel

    "I think our role is to be connected to our identity. Our identity is Israel. We are Israel. We are Am Yisrael... I think when you get more connected to your identity, you'll find the answers on your own." - Ysabella Elisheva Hazan Now the question is, are you seeking out those answers? Listen to this deep and heartfelt conversation I had with Ysabella, where we unpack the different ways she has found that authentic connection and drive to fight for (and ultimately live in) our Homeland. Follow Ysabella on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ysabellahazan/?hl=en And check out her initiative " Decolonized Judea" https://decolonizedjudean.com/ ******************** About Decolonized Judea: This is a movement beyond Judean wear. It’s about Jewish pride and empowerment. Decolonized Judean is about telling the Jewish story from a Jewish lense and shifting culture. Decolonizing Jewish identity means learning about the Jewish story from a Jewish lense - and that means not forming your opinion on the Jewish ancestral homeland from those who seek to destroy it. Thousand of years in the diaspora has added many layers and elements of colonization to our identity and culture. Decolonizing Jewish identity means connecting with our roots but not by going backwards, it means moving forward in advancing the next stage of our collective peoplehood. It simply means taking charge of our Jewish story and not forming or acquiescing elements of our peoplehood to our oppressors. There is no one way to be a decolonized Judean because there is no one way to feel connected to your identity and culture.

    41 min

About

We are facing unprecedented times. As a people. As a nation. I made Aliyah 3 years ago, making a home for myself in Israel. Now, as I find myself back in America, I am once again seeking to understand This is not a time to run to fear. It’s a time to stand strong and dig deep to understand our personal and collective role as a Jew and, how we connect to Israel. My Israel Narrative is my journey to answer these questions. And in doing so, to hopefully help others do the same.