He’s That Jew: Eitan Chitayat on Jewish pride, unity and reclaiming the narrative

“The cavalry is not coming to save us. We are the cavalry.” That’s what Israeli activist Eitan Chitayat told a packed crowd at Caulfield Shule on Tuesday night.

Amidst a global rise in antisemitism, he told the Melbourne audience that Jewish people, and our allies, need to become a united force, reclaim our narrative, and be proud of who we are.

Founder of the viral “I’m That Jew” movement, Chitayat has been touring Australia for a series of community events supported by the United Israel Appeal and Australian Jewish Funders.

“I woke up to so many messages from people who were in the audience, and they were saying that they were inspired,” Chitayat told The Jewish Independent. “And I'd like to think that it's not inspired by me. I'd like to think it's inspired by the fact that you have a community and you can do things, you can galvanise, you can mobilise, you can move to action.”

A creative director, brand strategist, and global advocate, Chitayat’s “I’m That Jew” empowerment campaign began in 2015 with a viral video, which has been seen over 15 million times across various platforms. He created the video shortly after the Charlie Hebdo shooting, when a friend in Paris said she was too afraid to tell anyone she was Jewish.

In 2018, Chitayat gave a TEDx talk explaining its inspiration, as well as the importance of celebrating Jewish identity without fear.