Danny Hakim, at The Blogs

Sep 17, 2024, 12:14 AM

Navigating Change in Haredi and Bedouin society

Unexpected collaborations of Haredi and Bedouin women are breaking down walls and addressing challenges in traditional communities. The new documentary film "Rabbi Capoeira" which premiered at this year's Docaviv festival is currently screening across Israel with the two ultra-orthodox (...

Aug 14, 2024, 9:21 PM

ONE TEAM, ONE WORLD: The role of sports in bridging cultural divides

The Paris 2024 Olympics were more than just a global stage for athletic excellence; it was a powerful reminder of how sport can unite people across cultures and borders. While the world watched with bated breath for record-breaking performances...

May 13, 2024, 5:54 AM

Euro(di)vision: The Power of Music to Unite or Divide

Eden Golan delivers a captivating performance of "Hurricane" at the Eurovision Grand Final, Malmö Arena. (Photo by Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU)

In a world divided by conflicts and cultural clashes, music emerges as a beacon of hope, transcending barriers to entertain, inspire, heal, and bring people together. This year, Eurovision highlighted this transformative influence through Israel's entry, "Hurricane" by Eden...

Feb 15, 2024, 10:38 AM

Scarves for scars: Sharing grief and hope

Rabbi Ben David, Kibutznik, Rabbi Nagen and Bedouin Shiek (Courtesy)

Imagine 3 Jews - an Orthodox rabbi, a Conservative rabbi’s wife, and a Reform emissary at a Muslim funeral. This isn’t the start of a joke, but the beginning of a profound journey that brought these three diverse Jews...

Feb 13, 2024, 12:00 PM

Dance, Death and Dreams: Tel Aviv’s Triumph Over Tragedy

360 people killed at the Nova Dance party

A Tale of Joy, Tragedy, and Resilience On a sunny Friday morning filled with Hanukkah's festive air, Tel Aviv's peace was shattered. Hamas launched missiles, disrupting the tranquility. It was December 7, when I was at the Dolphinarium Beach Club,...

Jan 5, 2024, 12:51 AM

From Dust to Sunshine: Uniting through shared struggles in Israel

In the aftermath of tragedy, where do we find the strength to heal and unite? My visit to two Israeli Bedouin communities, reeling from loss and conflict, uncovered a surprising and inspiring narrative. Here, amidst the echoes of despair, I...

Jan 3, 2024, 2:44 PM

Fiddler on the Solar Roof

Warming the hearts and cooling the bodies in the Bedouin community In the shadow of a raging conflict, where missiles tore through the silent skies, a remarkable story of unity, resilience, and innovation unfolded in the Negev desert. This is...

Jan 1, 2024, 10:50 PM

PEACE and SPORT: The Road Not Taken… Yet

In the heart of the Middle East, where the echoes of conflict reverberate through the air, there lies a silent but powerful undercurrent of hope. This is a story not just of nations divided by war, but of people...

Dec 13, 2023, 1:09 PM

WAR and SPORT: Lighting the road to recovery

On October 6, I drafted a blog titled "Peace and Sport: A New Road Taken." It was about my excitement to participate in the first Middle East Peace and Sport Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 18. I...

Apr 5, 2023, 7:19 AM

Featured Post

A Zionist message from Tokyo

Japanese folks dancing and singing the Israeli Folk Song Mayim Mayim in Tokyo, Japan

In my 40 years of wandering between Israel and Japan, I've found our community spirit still inspires abroad. But what about here in Israel?

About Me

Danny Hakim OAM is a 2 times world karate silver medalist and holds a 7th-degree black belt from Japan. He is the founder of Budo for Peace and chairman of Sport for Social Change. He is a board member of The Azrieli foundation, MWU ( Maccabi World Union), ALLMEP (the Alliance of Middle East peace), and Kids Kicking Cancer. In 2017 he was inducted into the Australian Maccabi Hall of Fame, and in 2019 was the recipient of the Bonei Zion award for Culture, Art, and Sport. In January 2022, he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for service to the international community.

Contact Me