Meet Hen Mazzig
“Hen Mazzig has emerged as one of the seminal voices of his generation. Morally uncompromising, he passionately defends Israel even as he chastises it for its failures. Proud, fearless, eloquent, Hen Mazzig is precisely the right kind of Jew for our time. - Yossi Klein Halevi, author and Senior Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute. “Hen Mazzig is the most dynamic young voice working to fill in the most glaring blank spot in the picture of Jews and Israel – the story of Jews from the Islamic world.” - Matti Friedman, author and New York Times Contributor.
Hen Mazzig is an Israeli writer, speaker, and digital creator described by The New York Times as one of the most nuanced online commentators on Israel and Jewish issues of our time. A globally recognized Jewish voice, he has appeared across four continents on outlets including MSNBC, BBC, CNN, Sky News, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. His content reaches over 100 million users monthly across nearly a million followers from all of his social platforms combined, making him one of the most influential Jewish voices online. Born in Israel to a family of Mizrahi heritage-- with roots in Iraq and Tunisia-- Hen’s family story of displacement from the Middle East shapes his work as a bridge between cultures. He served for five years as a humanitarian officer in the West Bank and Gaza, working as a liaison between Israeli security forces, the Palestinian Authority, and international NGOs. After earning a degree in Middle Eastern and Jewish Studies from Bar-Ilan University, Hen began speaking internationally about identity, antisemitism, and Jewish history. He has since lectured at more than 500 universities and events worldwide. Hen is the co-founder of the Tel Aviv Institute, a research and media organisation combating antisemitism and misinformation about Jews. His bestselling debut book, The Wrong Kind of Jew (2022), explores the Mizrahi Jewish story and the complexities of Jewish identity in modern discourse.Hen is also the creator and host of And They’re Jewish, a YouTube series celebrating Jewish creatives and cultural figures from around the world, and has led viral online campaigns, which challenge stereotypes and highlight the diversity of the global Jewish community. His impact has been recognized globally: he was named among The Algemeiner’s Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life (2018, 2021), one of the Top 50 Most Influential Jewish LGBT Voices (2020), recipient of CAMERA’s Portrait in Courage Award, one of The Jewish News’ Top 20 Young Jewish Creatives in the UK (2024), and one of The Jerusalem Post’s 25 Most Influential Young Jews (2023) and 50 Most Influential Jews in the World (2025).
Hen Mazzig is a prominent digital influencer; over 100 million users have interacted with his content, while his Instagram has a higher engagement rate than Kim Kardashian, Cristiano Rinaldo, and Nike.
He has authored numerous viral campaigns such as "#JewishPrivilege," where he inspired others to speak out about the falsehood of Jews having advantages in modern society, and "#JewishLooking" where thousands of Jews celebrated the ethnic and racial diversity of the community.
In 2019, Mazzig co-founded the Tel Aviv Institue, a non-profit dedicated to using data-driven social media strategies to stand up for Jewish people and other minorities online. As the Institute's senior fellow, he has trained a dynamic roster of Jewish advocates in messaging and empowers a new generation of Jews to use publications, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and new media to advocate for tolerance and peace.
I promise to love being Jewish 10x more than anyone hates me for it.
Mazzig grew up in Israel as the son of Mizrahi Jewish refugees from Iraq and Tunisia. He is a descendant of the Indigenous tribe of North Africa, the Amazigh. As a young Israeli, Hen served in the Israel Defense Forces for almost five years as an openly gay commander. As a lieutenant in the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories unit, he was a humanitarian officer.
While serving in the West Bank, Mazzig was an intermediary between the IDF, the Palestinian Authority, the UN, and many non-governmental organizations. He oversaw the construction of medical facilities, schools, environmental projects, roads, water-related infrastructure, and security coordination with the Palestinian Security Forces, part of the Palestinian Authority.
A staunch advocate for the queer community, he also served as the head of the Transgender and Health department at the National Israeli LGBTQ Task Force (The Nir Kates Center) in Tel Aviv.
Mazzig holds a BA in Middle Eastern and Jewish Studies from Bar Ilan University.
