Shmuel Holiday

Shmuel Holiday, a 16 year old pro-Israel activist, writer, and social media creator from Jerusalem, has quickly emerged as one of the young Jewish voices advocating for Israel online and on campus. Through viral social media content, published articles, public speaking, and youth organizing, Holiday has built a growing platform focused on combating antisemitism, strengthening Jewish identity, and defending Israel in the international conversation. Before the events of Oct. 7, Holiday was already deeply interested in politics, Zionism, and media. As a teenager growing up in Jerusalem, he spent years studying the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, American politics, and modern Jewish history, while also developing a strong passion for writing and communication. But after Oct. 7, that passion transformed into something much larger. Seeing the explosion of misinformation and antisemitism online pushed him to begin posting videos, writing articles, and speaking publicly in defense of Israel. “What frustrated me most,” Holiday explained, “was seeing how many people my age were getting their information entirely from TikTok clips and slogans. I realized that if young people are consuming content online all day, then we need to fight for Israel in the same exact space.” Over the past year, Holiday has published articles in outlets including the Jewish Link and Times of Israel while building a rapidly growing online audience across multiple platforms. His content often focuses on media bias, antisemitism, Zionism, American support for Israel, and the future of Jewish advocacy among Gen Z. At the same time, Holiday began organizing and networking within the pro-Israel world, meeting activists, journalists, politicians, influencers, and students involved in Jewish advocacy. Rather than approaching advocacy purely from a political angle, he increasingly focused on the idea that storytelling and media are now one of the most important battlegrounds for Israel advocacy. “People think advocacy is only debates or politics,” Holiday said. “But today, influence is culture. Influence is storytelling. The people shaping opinions are often creators, filmmakers, podcasters, and social media personalities.” This summer, Holiday is set to attend Harvard Summer School, where he plans to continue expanding his work in leadership, media, and advocacy. He has also spoken publicly about his long-term goal of building a large-scale movement focused on strengthening American support for Israel, especially among younger audiences. Despite his growing platform, Holiday emphasizes the importance of authenticity and persistence. “I’m still learning every single day,” he shared. “I don’t think you need to be famous or powerful to make a difference. I think consistency matters more. If enough young people decide they care about Israel and actually speak up, that changes things.” Alongside his advocacy work, Holiday continues to focus heavily on writing, public speaking, and developing communication skills. Much of his work centers around reaching teenagers and college students in a language and style they actually connect to. Holiday also credits much of his motivation to growing up in Jerusalem and witnessing firsthand how connected Jewish history, identity, and modern Israel truly are. “When you grow up in Jerusalem, Israel isn’t just a topic you hear about online,” he explained. “You feel the history around you every day. That gives you a responsibility to speak.” Looking toward the future, Holiday hopes to continue growing his media presence, building advocacy organizations, and eventually becoming a major voice in the relationship between Israel and the United States. Finally, Holiday shared a message directed toward young Jews and supporters of Israel worldwide: “A lot of people underestimate how much impact one person can actually have online. One video, one article, one conversation it genuinely matters. If you care about something, don’t wait until you’re older to start