Uri Cohen: The Bold Voice Combating Antisemitism with Humor and Heart

Activist, influencer, speaker, matchmaker, and comedian Uri Cohen (@uricohn), widely known as “The Uri,” takes a bold and innovative approach to combating antisemitism. By blending humor with raw, genuine discussions, he has profoundly impacted the global Jewish community, inspiring change every day. His authenticity has earned him the trust of young Jews, empowering them to stand against Jew hatred and build confidence in a space where it is often lacking.

Born and raised in Jerusalem, Uri joined the IDF at 18. Reflecting on his service as a medic, he quips, “I was the worst medic ever – no one survived my horrible treatment.”

After serving in the IDF, Uri transitioned into the security field, including working as an escort for Birthright groups. “I told the participants that if they wanted me to protect them from Hamas, they had to follow me on Instagram. Otherwise, I’m not going to protect them. Obviously, they followed me,” he jokes. “Everyone laughed at my accent, and I started making fun of the participants. That’s how it all began.”

Since then, Uri has become a full-time content creator, using his quick wit and humor to unite Jewish people worldwide.

PG: What is the driving force or central mission behind your work?

UC: My mission is to unite the Jewish people with humor and make the young Jewish generation proud, less scared, and more Israeli. After October 7, I was volunteering my time to support Jewish communities. I went all over the states, including LA, Miami, and San Francisco. I was going to universities, speaking, and connecting with the community. Like many young Jewish people these days, students are terrified. They are proud, but they don’t feel comfortable going out and showing off the Israeli flag or saying, I’m a proud Zionist, because it’s horrible now in the universities. I hope there will be a change. My role is to strengthen them so that they show their strong Jewish character and develop a community approach that empowers them to stand fearless.

PG: What have been some of the biggest challenges you faced as an activist, and how have you navigated them?

UC: I get a lot of hate messages and threats. It’s not easy. But eventually, when you don’t get scared, and you don’t show them fear, they are afraid. They are writing from fake accounts, and they are hiding their face. When we show them that we are not scared, they are scared. It’s very simple. It’s very powerful.

I also want to mention an incident when I was at a Noa Kirel performance in New York City on November 9th. I was with a few friends, and when we left the club, we were harassed and attacked by people who were anti-Israel. They saw the Israeli flags we were holding, and they started coming at us. Myself and a few friends stepped up and pushed back against them and their hate.

Another challenge is that I’ve been shadow-banned on Instagram for almost a year. Recently, it got reversed, but it’s gone back and forth. And so many Jewish people in the community, big pages are shadow-banned. It’s horrible. You can’t make reels, and finding your account is tough. You work hard, make an interview or a funny video, spend hours editing it, and then post it, and no one sees it. It’s very hard mentally. We all need our voice in this social media war.

PG: How do you handle criticism, especially when addressing controversial issues?

UC: I enjoy engaging in debates and challenging perspectives. Suppose someone writes something like, for example, saying that Israel is committing genocide. In that case, I will say, how is it genocide if before Israel was established, there were less than 200,000 Palestinians, and now there are two million? It depends on what they write. If it’s someone who is not an extremist, you can roast them. But if it’s someone who says, ‘I hate Jews’ – how am I going to change his mind? He hates Jews. He’s out of it. I’m not going to be like, ‘Oh no. Listen, we are good people. Love us.’ No, f*ck you.

PG: What projects are you most passionate about now and why?

UC: My passion is to educate and empower young Jewish students to combat Jew hatred through education and humor. I’m working with the Jew Hate Database as part of The David & Goliath Project, a non-profit dedicated to reclaiming Jewish identity and fighting Jew hatred through innovative strategies. We’re expanding our initiatives to engage students nationwide, including an upcoming college tour.

Jew Hate Database, is an AI-powered platform that tracks and exposes Jew hatred globally, and Fight Jew Hate, is a movement empowering Jewish students and communities to confront Jew hatred on campuses and beyond through organized activism and security initiatives.  

Jew Hate Database has exposed over 400 individuals in as little as over a year who have espoused Jew hatred globally. For example, when a violent incident occurred in Times Square, the database tracked down the perpetrator, exposed their identity, and collaborated with legal teams and other organizations to ensure accountability.

This effort also includes Fight Jew Hate, which empowers Jewish students and communities through organized activism and security initiatives. By leveraging resources, partnerships, and even bounties, we’re creating impactful strategies to combat antisemitism while supporting victims and raising awareness.

PG: What do you think people outside of Israel often misunderstand about the social and political realities of the region?

UC: They don’t know that Israel is not an apartheid state. They don’t know that they have over two million people, 20% Israeli Arabs, who are living with equal rights in Israel and can become Prime Ministers. There is a lack of information that people don’t see. They need to learn; you must live in Israel to understand things.

My message for mostly diaspora Jews who are constantly protecting the government is that they need to understand that it’s not just our prime minister who comes and speaks about how they killed Nasrallah and Sinwar. It’s bigger than that. For example, for four years, our government gave money to Hamas while letting them grow because they wanted to get elected. They don’t care. My message is every person, before he likes or condemns a government, needs to research and understand everything and to listen to Israelis.

A lot of Israelis are going out now in protest against the government, and people think they are left-wing and that they hate Israel. It’s not true. A lot of them lost their families on October 7. In Israel, we are living very differently; it’s a tough life. A lot of Jews here in the U.S. have a very good life, and they don’t know how to face struggles. They don’t have survival problems. In Israel, if you ask someone what scares you the most, he will tell you before getting stabbed by Hamas or something; they will tell you to finish the month financially. It’s so expensive to live in Israel, and then there are the wars. Israel is living in trauma, and they need to survive physically, mentally, and financially. It’s created a very tough personality.

PG: What advice would you give to younger people who want to make a difference but feel overwhelmed by the complexity of everything going on right now?

UC: Don’t be alone; get united with more people. If you want to go to a free Palestinian rally, go in a group of 10 people to protect yourself because they are the Intifada people. They’re crazy; they can kill you. You need to go around with people and speak about it. Say, Okay, I’m a little bit scared. And then the other person will also say, I’m afraid. I’m afraid, but together, we are not frightened. Let’s take action together. 

PG: How do you see your work evolving in the future?

UC: I’ll soon embark on college tours across the U.S. and Canada, speaking to and empowering young Jewish students to combat antisemitism. Through engaging presentations and my unique blend of education and humor, I’ll inspire them to stand fearlessly against intimidation and hate while teaching effective strategies to fight Jew hatred.

Alongside this important work, I’m leveraging my innovative use of social media to enhance my activism and broaden my reach. Through my platforms, including the Sexualization and dating pages, as well as pub crawl events, I’m finding creative ways to engage with audiences and bring them into the conversation. By expanding my events, launching more merchandise, and growing my following, I aim to amplify my message and provide even greater value to my community while staying focused on my mission to educate and inspire.

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With over 220,000 followers across various social platforms, Uri stays busy organizing social events in Tel Aviv and New York City, selling merchandise, facilitating romantic connections, and sharing satirical media content. His platforms are a proven avenue for generating brand awareness and seamlessly integrating products and experiences uniquely and humorously.

To support Uri, follow him on his various Instagram pages:

@urcohn @uribreakingnews  – Satiric Media

@sexualzionism – Merch page

@jewuri – Dating page

@pubcrawltelaviv @pubcrawlnyc