In a profound conversation on the Superhumanizer podcast, Hadar Cohen—a 10th generation Jerusalemite with roots in Syria, Kurdistan, Iraq, and Iran—shares her journey of reclaiming an identity that colonialism and Zionism have systematically erased: Arab Judaism.
"I just grew up with so much shame around my identity," Cohen reveals, describing how in Israeli society, listening to Arabic music at home was embarrassing—something to hide from classmates. When her family moved to the United States when she was ten, she "pretended to be Ashkenazi," straightening her hair to appear whiter.
This personal struggle reflects a broader historical erasure. Following the creation of Israel in 1948, over 850,000 Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews were displaced from Arab and Muslim-majority countries. Though they now constitute Israel's largest ethnic group, their cultural heritage has been systematically suppressed.
For thousands of years, Jews were deeply embedded in Muslim societies. "We were there and we were able to develop so much beauty and culture and spirituality and depth," Cohen explains. Jewish musicians held prominent places in the Arab world, and Arabic was a foundational Jewish language—Maimonides, one of Judaism's greatest thinkers, wrote in Arabic.
The separation of Jews and Muslims served colonial interests. "Colonialism always had such a deep interest in separating Jews and Muslims and using Jews as pawns for the larger Western Christian empire," Cohen notes. This separation culminated in what she calls "the Christianization of the Jews"—cutting off connections with Islam and aligning Jews with Western powers.
Cohen's journey of reclaiming her Arab Jewish identity came through building relationships with Palestinians. "At a certain point I was like, I'm never going to fit in [to the Ashkenazi world]," she shares. "And as that thing was crashing, that's when I started to meet more and more Palestinians."
In these relationships, Cohen found acceptance and understanding. "I actually felt family. I actually feel deep family. I feel loved. I feel love for them," she says, contrasting this with the alienation she experienced in many Jewish spaces.
This reclamation isn't merely personal—it's political resistance against a system that profits from division. Cohen draws inspiration from historical models of coexistence, particularly Andalusia, where Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived together for over seven centuries, creating one of the longest periods of interfaith harmony in history.
For Cohen, reclaiming Arab Jewish identity is about healing both personal and collective wounds—reconnecting to a heritage that offers a powerful alternative to the separation and conflict that dominate today's narratives.
References
Wikipedia (2025). "Jewish exodus from the Muslim world."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_exodus_from_the_Muslim_world
Wikipedia (2025) . "Mizrahi Jews."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizrahi_Jews
Vox (2024, April 11) . "The untold story of Arab Jews — and their solidarity with Palestinians."
https://www.vox.com/world-politics/24122304/israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestine-arab-jews-mizrahi-solidarity
Facing History & Ourselves (2024, March 11) . "A Brief Overview of Mizrahi Jews."
https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/brief-overview-mizrahi-jews
Interfaith NY. "Peaceful Coexistence - Jewish and Muslim in Iberia Peninsula."
https://www.interfaithny.com/ICLIoct6.php
The Fountain Magazine. "The Convivencia in Islamic Spain."
http://fountainmagazine.com/2013/issue-94-july-august-2013/the-convivencia-july-2013
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