Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Ben Avraham stands at a unique crossroads of faith, culture and heritage. A convert to Judaism who proudly embraces his African-American identity while acknowledging his childhood roots in Islam, Ben Avraham offers a powerful and nuanced voice in today’s conversations about race, religion and responsibility.
He believes his spiritual journey should be titled, “When a Muslim has a Jewish soul.” In fact, he calls upon all people to look into and become aware of their own souls. Why, he asks, is it okay to question gender but not to address the soul? Why not teach about what he terms “The ‘s’ word—why is that a big taboo?”
For Ben Avraham, silence in the face of hate is not an option. He urges people—across nations, faiths and cultures—to recognize their innate souls inside and to actively reject bigotry in any form.
“As a global community, we must stand together against anyone who spreads hatred toward any group. No exceptions,” he tells JNS.
Ben Avraham is also a passionate advocate for religious freedom, campaigning for the right of Jews—and Christians—to pray on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
His YouTube and social media videos calling out the restriction on Jewish prayers at the holy site often garner upwards of 50,000 views a day.
From Los Angeles to Jerusalem
Born in 1980s Los Angeles as Shariff Hasan into an affluent family of idealistic academics, he seemed destined for a life of cultural influence. And he delivered—just not in the way anyone expected. As he grew up, he helped ignite a dance craze, launched a fashion brand that made waves in streetwear and rose through the ranks to become a music executive at Warner Bros.
But his story took a transformative turn when he discovered the Kabbalah Center. What began as a curiosity evolved into a deep spiritual search—one that would lead him away from the entertainment world and toward a life of faith.
Now living in Jerusalem, Ben Avraham is a divorced Orthodox rabbi who leads a religious school near the Machane Yehuda market, where he teaches and mentors social media influencers and works to inspire meaningful change, mostly on Zoom.
His book, Mind of the Black Jew, offers an analytical exploration of the moral and ethical foundations of Orthodox Judaism, viewed through the unique perspective of an African-American rabbi. His journey has been far from conventional, but at its core, it has always been driven by a pursuit of truth—and a commitment to share it with others.
Erasing racism
Asked what would happen in an imaginary meet-up between him and Candace Owens or Kanye West, he focuses on how much harm words can cause.
“I actually understand, to an extent, where someone like Kanye is coming from emotionally,” Ben Avraham replies. “But the rhetoric he’s using—statements rooted in hate and misinformation—are not merely just harmful or dangerous. Words like his or Candace Owens’s encourage violence, discrimination and division.”
He is deeply concerned with how Judaism is often misrepresented, especially by those with anti-Israel or antisemitic agendas. “There’s a narrative out there trying to paint Judaism as a white, Eurocentric religion—sometimes even tying it falsely to white supremacy,” he explains. “But that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Ben Avraham works to illuminate the rich, multicultural tapestry of the Jewish people.
“Judaism is a global faith,” he says. “There are Jews of African, Spanish, Arab and Asian descent. The Torah belongs to the world, and the Jewish story includes many paths—some who returned, some who intermarried, some who were displaced or taken in the slave trade. But all these stories are tied together through a shared covenant with God.”
Holiness and high-tech
Ben Avraham speaks with passion about the profound opportunity of living at a time when holiness and high-tech innovation can walk hand in hand. He finds deep inspiration in the idea that emerging technologies—so often seen as tools of distraction —can instead be harnessed in the service of something far greater than ourselves.
“We’re shaping a future,” he says, “where sacred intention can flow through even the most modern of platforms.” For him, the true potential lies in soul-to-soul connectivity—a spiritual thread that transcends borders, cultures, and screens. It is this divine connection, he believes, that holds the power to awaken global compassion, foster brotherhood and ultimately usher in an era of lasting peace.
In his life and in his work, Ben Avraham strives to show that Jewish identity is not bound by race or geography, but by every human being’s unique mission and soul—a spiritual lineage he sees as ancient and diverse as the Twelve Tribes of Israel.