Ben M. Freeman

Founder of the modern Jewish Pride movement, Ben M. Freeman is the author of Jewish Pride: Rebuilding a People and Reclaiming our Story: The Pursuit of Jewish Pride. Educating, inspiring and empowering, his work focuses on Jewish identity and historical and contemporary Jew-hatred. A Holocaust scholar for over fifteen years, Ben came to prominence during the Corbyn Labour Jew-hate crisis in the UK and quickly became one of his generation’s leading Jewish thinkers and voices against Jew-hate.

 PEOPLE SIGN The Covenant of Unity and Hope, in Latrun, on Independence Day in May.

Let’s speak about hope; it doesn’t diminish the pain - comment

 PRO-PALESTINIAN protesters hold up signs and banners along the route of the annual Labor Day Parade in Detroit, earlier this month. There are forces in the world that seek to destroy us; that is a condemnation of them, not us, the writer maintains.

From trauma to triumph: Embracing Jewish resilience and pride - opinion

 Israeli soldier hangs an Israeli flag in Kibbutz Nir Am, near the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip, August 12, 2024

Fighting anti-Zionism with indigeneity: Reclaiming Jewish identity in Israel - opinion


Reflections on indigeneity and identity: A personal journey through Israel - opinion

For many Jews, Israel is more than a homeland; it's a deep connection to their roots. This account explores this bond through visits to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, celebrating Israel's importance.

An Israeli volunteer walks with a weapon as he helps farmers from Kibbutz Beeri, Israel, to pick avocados from their land as part of an initiative to help farmers from Kibbutzes in Israel near the border with Gaza to pick the crops after the October 7 deadly attack by Hamas gunmen from Gaza in the K

Why is Judaism so unique from all other religions? - opinion

We are not simply a religion, and certainly not one understood through the Christian idea of the word.  We are a people. We are indigenous to the Land of Israel.

 PEOPLE WAIT under a Star of David reading ‘Jude’ in Tel Aviv on Holocaust Remembrance Day, this year. The writer posits that we must define our identity as Jews through an understanding of who we are, not who the non-Jewish world wants us to be.

'Queers for Palestine' are forcing LGBTQ+ Jews back into the closet - opinion

The treatment we have received from other members of the queer community is unacceptable. It is racist and stands in direct contradiction to the supposed ideals promoted by the LGBTQ+ community.

 The LGBTQ+ rainbow flag is seen flying along with the flag of Israel during Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem, May 30, 2024

When is it time to leave the Diaspora? - opinion

For me, the constant need to assert my British identity and fight for my right to remain in the UK feels exhausting and humiliating.

 DEMONSTRATORS HOLD placards at a march against antisemitism, in November in London. The writer asks: Why should we fight to remain in societies that at worst seem hostile to us and at best seem indifferent?

World Jewish Congress delegation journeys to Slovenia to combat antisemitism - opinion

A World Jewish Congress delegation visited Slovenia to address rising antisemitism. They met with officials, faced challenges, and emphasized the right to Jewish pride and safety.

 ROBERT BARUH WALTL shows the WJC delegation around the synagogue in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Uploaded on 1/5/2024

Passover is an expression of Jewish indigeneity in the Land of Israel - opinion

In Passover, we honor our origin story as a people when we became a nation centered in the Land of Israel as well as the land itself.

 THE SEDER takes place, last year, in the Land of Israel.

Israelis and Diaspora Jews must work to understand one another - opinion

We must recognize there are fundamental differences in our experiences that might impact our ability to appreciate the nuances of our identities and how we approach the world.

 Israelis holding Israeli flags as they make their way to the funeral of Israeli soldier Sergeant major Ilay David Garfinkel, near Moshav Sitria, on March 24, 2024.

Loving Jewishness with one's whole being: The head, the heart and the hands - opinion

By engaging in discussions and explorations of Jewish identity, history, experiences and practices, we awaken our consciousness to the power of Jewish Pride.

 Jewish youth from all over the world participating in the March of the Living at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland on April 11, 2018.

Prince William must support the Jewish community by listening to it - opinion

The Prince of Wales’ visit to the British Red Cross came on the same day as a statement made by His Royal Highness, giving his perspective on the Israel-Hamas war.

 PRINCE WILLIAM listens to Pascal Hundt, senior crisis manager of the International Committee of the Red Cross, video calling from Gaza, during the prince’s visit to the British Red Cross at its headquarters in London last week.

Are the Jewish people at war with each other? - opinion

Future generations of Jews will look to us and ask what we did during this latest war against the Jews.

 Ultra Orthodox Jews walk in the Ultra orthodox town of Bnei Brak on December 29, 2021.