“My dream is to make aliyah to Israel,” the 54-year-old actress told the gathering, explaining that the desire to live in the Jewish homeland has been with her since she was a little girl.
By United with Israel Staff
American actress Selma Blair has revealed that she has dreamed of moving to Israel since childhood, expressing a deep attachment to the Jewish state and a determination to stand proudly with the Jewish people despite the professional and personal backlash she has faced in Hollywood.
Speaking Monday before hundreds of Jewish leaders at the Jewish Federations of North America’s annual General Assembly in Washington, DC, Blair said her greatest aspiration is to make aliyah and build a life in Israel.
“My dream is to make aliyah to Israel,” the 54-year-old actress told the gathering, explaining that the desire to live in the Jewish homeland has been with her since she was a little girl.
Blair also revealed that her late mother had shared that dream, hoping to immigrate to Israel after retirement.
Although her mother never fulfilled that aspiration, Blair hopes to honor her memory by bringing her remains to Israel for burial.
“I hope to bring her remains to be buried in Israel,” she said.
Best known for her roles in Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde and Hellboy, Blair described a lifelong connection to Judaism that began during her childhood in the Detroit area.
She attended Hillel Day School, where she learned to read Hebrew before English, and said her Jewish faith and identity have always been central to her life.
While Blair never questioned her Jewish identity, she recalled struggling from an early age to understand the hatred directed at Jews. She also expressed regret that she had not given her own son a Jewish day school education.
Her connection to Israel and the Jewish people took on renewed significance following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre, which deeply affected the actress and prompted her to become increasingly outspoken about antisemitism.
Blair said she was particularly disturbed by the wave of anti-Israel hostility that followed the attacks, including demonstrations on American college campuses and the growing hostility toward Jews in public life.
Her willingness to speak publicly came at a steep personal and professional cost.
In February 2024, Blair faced widespread criticism after posting an Instagram comment attacking two members of Congress who opposed legislation intended to prevent participants in the October 7 massacre from entering the United States.
The comment also included statements about Islam that sparked accusations of Islamophobia, prompting Blair to issue an apology.
But according to the actress, the fallout extended far beyond the controversy itself.
She said she lost her agent, manager, publicists, social media representatives and numerous friends in the entertainment industry, leaving her increasingly isolated in Hollywood.
Speaking at an Anti-Defamation League event in New York last month, Blair described the devastating impact of losing so many professional and personal relationships.
“Two years ago I learned what erased feels like,” she said.
Blair believes her public identification with Israel and the Jewish people contributed to her isolation in an entertainment industry where outspoken support for the Jewish state has become increasingly contentious.
She said the experience also affected her teenage son, who witnessed the backlash against his mother.
Despite the difficulties, Blair has refused to abandon her Jewish identity or distance herself from Israel.
Instead, she has increasingly embraced the Jewish community, describing it as a source of belonging and strength at a time when she felt rejected elsewhere.
At the October ADL gathering, she expressed the depth of her connection to the Jewish state in deeply personal terms.
“I feel Israel in my whole being,” Blair declared.
The actress is also developing a documentary titled Hineni, Hebrew for “Here I Am,” which will explore antisemitism, Jewish identity and attitudes toward Israel.
The project will include filming in Israel and conversations with people holding opposing perspectives, with Blair hoping to encourage meaningful dialogue while confronting prejudice against Jews.
Blair, who publicly revealed her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2018, has also spoken about the role of Jewish faith in helping her endure serious health challenges alongside the turmoil in her professional life.
During difficult moments, she said, she repeatedly recites the Shema Yisrael prayer, turning to God and the Jewish people for comfort and strength.
Her remarks in Washington reflected not only her determination to remain proudly Jewish but also her hope of eventually fulfilling a dream shared by generations of Jews around the world: returning to the Jewish homeland.
Despite the controversy and isolation she has experienced, Blair expressed gratitude for the support she continues to receive from the Jewish community.
“I’m so honored to show up for this community and so grateful that you would still have me,” she told the gathering.
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