Sammy Horowitz, also known as “Russian Concussion” and “Bear Jew,” was expelled from Hebrew School. Today he trains yeshiva boys in self-defense. On his Instagram page, you can find videos of young men in their tzitzit throwing punches in a boxing ring. Since October 7th, the world has been less safe for Jews, who were already disproportionately targeted in hate crimes. “It just disgusts me,” said Sammy. “Look at me, I’m not a little guy. I’m six foot two. 215 pounds. I’ve been called a kike,” he told us. The hate has activated and emboldened his Jewish identity.
Raised as a Conservative Jew, Sammy grew up primarily in Chicago. Today he is an award winning action-actor, stuntman, playwright, and screenwriter. Sammy started out as a bouncer and doorman at nightclubs, an M.M.A. fighter, and eventually a full-time professional boxer who fought all over the country.Since October 7th, he and his wife have taken on more observance through Chabad.
“Things have changed quite a bit in the last eight months, I love it,” he said. “I’ve never not been connected to my Jewishness.” His relationship with Chabad began in 2002, and with recent events, Sammy said he felt a calling. “When terrorists attacked Israel, I felt torn up about it. I wanted to go to Israel,” and he did on October 17th where he “volunteered a little bit.” While his desire to help is strong, and he believes Israel is where Jews belong, he stated, “I’m not in the IDF, I’m not a(n Israeli) citizen.”
When Sammy returned home from Israel following his mid-October visit, much has changed in Sammy’s life. “I learned to read Hebrew over the last eight months, I read Hebrew every day now.” He wraps tefillin and is “proud to be a Zionist.” He’s connected strongly with his spirituality and tradition, and now devotes time to helping Jews find strength in a more physical fashion. “What inspired me to do this was the Jewish person walking around LA that’s getting harassed,” he explained that he wants Jews not to feel “apprehensive to go to and from shul.” He told someone what he was doing and the next thing he knew, there were yeshiva boys ready to learn from a trained fighter. And while they need not be at the professional fighter level, “having some type of skills is going to help in every sense for an attack, especially in hand-to-hand combat.”
“The yeshiva boys that train with me, they’re little bada–s,” he specifically commented on the quickness with which these young men applied their learnings. Empowering every single person is what motivates Sammy to help train Jews to feel not only more comfortable, but more capable if there God forbid there is a situation where a punch needs to be thrown or evaded.
Firsthand, Sammy has been called names and has witnessed his rabbi being harassed. Sammy even got beaten up because of a chai necklace that he wore when he was younger. “I’ve always rocked a star of David or chai since I was younger but [looking] visibly Jewish only started since October 7th. What’s crazy [are] the different looks I get now,” he recalled walking around a casino in Las Vegas with a kippah and tzitzit, as people gave him a thumbs up, “which is awesome.” He noted this fascinating phenomena from a sociological point of view, as some people hint at approval (not that we need it) and others take to the streets to hurt Jews.
Despite the grimness in the diaspora, Sammy feels “America is our country,” so he doesn’t plan to run away. Yet also acknowledges that “When I was in Israel, I came home and told my wife we belong there.” He felt love everywhere he went in Israel, “I want to be there so bad.” His ultimate goal is to “one day God willing open up a big boxing club in Jerusalem.”
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