Sammy Yahood in the hood: A ‘modern Maccabi’ fighting for Israel and the Jewish diaspora

As antisemitism rises globally, many Jews are living in fear – yet some are stepping forward to confront the hostility. Among them is Samuel, known as “Sammyahood,” who has gained tens of thousands of followers while actively defending Israel both online and in person.

ALL ISRAEL NEWS correspondent Oriel Moran met Sammy in Tel Aviv to hear his thoughts and experiences since he made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) from London, England, during the war.

“I made aliyah in November from North London. I'm 24, and currently I'm working on fighting for the Jewish people and empowering our nation across the world,” he told Moran, giving a summary of his raison d’être. 

Describing himself as a “modern Maccabi,” Sammy aims to help build resilience and courage among Jewish people in the diaspora while also mobilizing volunteers in Israel to help clear debris after missile attacks and donate blood. 

Picking their way through some of the carnage and broken glass following a ballistic missile attack from Iran he declared with hope and confidence, “The Iranian regime will fall and the Middle East will be a safer place in Europe.”

“The Iron Dome shoots down about 95% of what's fired at us even before it reaches our airspace. We have the F-35 fighter jets busy shooting them down to help us stay sleeping comfortably at night,” Sammy continued, concerned that diaspora Jews might be afraid to return while Israel is under attack.

“I want to say that this should not lead Jews to believe that it's not safe for us here. The [safe] rooms and the bunkers that we have in almost every single building are lifesaving. And unfortunately, when you look at the likes of the UK, Europe, Canada – I just don't see the same prioritization of the safety of the citizens in any capacity. As you see here, this is what the Jewish people are about.”

Perhaps Sammy need not worry – well over 45,000 Jews have made aliyah since Oct. 7, 2023, preferring war-torn Israel with its defense forces over the unbridled antisemitism spiraling out of control in the West. One hundred and ten new immigrants arrived in Israel from Europe the day after the ceasefire with Iran was announced.

Sammy has been outspoken in his support for Israel and his criticism of those attacking the Jewish state, and has increasingly voiced concerns about what he describes as the “Islamification” of Europe.

“Surveys show that over 50% of UK Muslims support Hamas and are sympathetic with Hamas. I strongly believe that in places like the UK and Canada, the Jews do not have a future,” he warns, saying that Jews in the diaspora should make aliyah as soon as possible.

“When I say to people, I think the Jews should be leaving places like France, like England, and like, Canada, they say, ‘I'll leave when it gets too bad.’ I have to ask, what is getting too bad? Like, is that them on their doorstep…Or when your door has been kicked in?”

Sammy's bold stance and frank statements on social media have unsurprisingly drawn a lot of fire. 

“This is controversial, especially within the Jewish community,” he said. Speaking about the painful news constantly streaming from the media, he noted, “I try not to focus on the damage which is being done to us, and on the people that have been stolen from us and are still in captivity.”

Instead, Sammy tries to turn the emotions from those painful messages into something productive. “What I found within myself is that when I see these videos of the Hamas atrocities and I hear the news of whatever it is being done to my people, I'm angry and upset for a second, and that turns into motivation for action,” he explained. 

He believes that too few within the Jewish community are willing to boldly stand up and speak out in the diaspora.

“I see our community like an orchestra, and it's mostly made up of violinists,” he began, describing how the Jewish community responds to attack with sorrow and mourning as a way of processing the trauma. 

“But unfortunately, an orchestra also needs drummers, and we are desperately lacking drummers,” he says. “We need people who react to this trauma in a proactive way.” 

“As soon as I realized… how vulnerable we are, I went back to learning self-defense. And I also went and started for the first time in my life, really paying attention to learning about Jewish and Israeli history,” he said, adding, “that's just as valid a form of self-defense as self-defense physically, because I could not be sat in a room with people lying and labeling about my community… without something to say back.”

Sammy has focused on physical fitness as a way to feel both mentally and practically prepared for potential attacks.

“I've been training for a long time, gives me the confidence in many scenarios, and I probably would never, would never have started doing the content that I'm doing without having trained self-defense, because it gives you the confidence to to be, to stick true to exactly what you believe, and not temper your opinions for anyone or any environment.”

“Jews in the diaspora [are] believing that if only they just separate themselves from the Israeli government. If they condemn the Israeli government, people will stop hating us. Maybe if we leave Judea and Samaria, they'll stop hating us. What's next? We leave Tel Aviv? They'll stop hating us?”

When asked about the importance and source of bravery, Sammy told Moran, “There's no such thing as natural courage.” He continued: “I think the biggest misconception is that courage is people who don't feel fear. It's the opposite. It's people who feel fear. They get that adrenaline and they use it to their advantage. And that takes training. That takes understanding and it takes time.”

“That's something that really needs to be understood by people who don't feel courageous or bold in their own lives. So I always say that I try to put myself through – through physical pain or distress so that I'm better able to cope with the stress and the difficulty that life puts on me, and I think that's what all humans should strive to do.”

Sammy's strategy is to intentionally control the way he reacts to pain and difficulty, saying that those who are attacking the Jewish community are also in pain.

“You can see that inside, that they're full of pain and they're reacting to something in a way that is just totally irrational, and they're not actually formidable or strong individuals for the most part.”

“Traveling around the world, and trauma… like October the 7th, have made me realize just how fragile things like material things like abundance and freedom are,” he said. “I feel like I have a responsibility.”

“Everyone has their own fight,” he insists, but emphasizes his desire that one day fighting would no longer be necessary. “Peace through strength, peace through strength.”