The Office of Jewish Life (photographed above) invited trans activist Michael Alroy to the Hillel Campus Center for a special conversation on Thursday, April 27 from 7-8:30 PM. Michael will share his journey of growing up in a religious family, serving in the Israeli Defense Force, navigating his experiences as a transgender man in Israeli society, and how he overcame fear to become the person he is today.

Michael Alroy was born Michelle Haziza in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1990. At age 7, he emigrated to Israel with his divorced mother and two siblings. At the age of 9, Alroy was sent to an all-girls religious school for middle and high school education. He struggled to adapt to the strictly religious environment of his school as he began to experience a conflict with his gender identity.

After finishing school and joining the Israeli Defense Forces, more difficulties arose until he made a decision at age 20 that changed his life forever. In this talk, Alroy will talk about his personal story, relating his life’s journey from childhood to the present—his difficulties, challenges, loves, and how he copes as transgender within himself and the society in which he lives. Alroy’s 2015 appearance on the Israeli version of the “Big Brother” reality show led to a marked increase in discussion and visibility of the trans community in Israel.