Alan Dershowitz, one of America’s most prominent legal minds, recently sat down with South Florida Community Magazine following his powerful speech at the Zionist Organization of America’s event. He began with characteristic humility: “It was my honor to be allowed to speak at such a wonderful organizational event. The ZOA is the strongest voice for Israel in the United States.”
We sat down to explore how his Jewish heritage has shaped his identity and career, and to discuss what lies ahead for the Jewish people.
How has Judaism influenced your career as a lawyer?
“My career would be impossible without my Jewish background. I am a Jewish lawyer. I try to follow in the steps of the great Jewish lawyers throughout history—starting with Avraham, who argued with Hashem on behalf of the innocent in Sodom. That story inspired me from the time I was 10 years old.”
He went on to cite Herzl, Jabotinsky, and other Jewish leaders who were also lawyers. “So many of our Jewish leaders have been lawyers. I prioritize Israel, Jewish causes, and people who’ve faced discrimination. Without my Jewish background, I don’t know what I’d be doing today.”
Were there any mentors who helped shape your path?
“My first mentor wasn’t a lawyer. He was Rabbi Greenberg, my camp counselor and a few years ahead of me in yeshiva. Then there were the two judges I clerked for—David Bazelon and Arthur Goldberg. Both were deeply Jewish and involved in Zionist causes. They taught me that I could be a liberal Jew, a Zionist, and a proud American at the same time.”
He added that his family roots reinforced this strong sense of identity. “My uncle told me our family name, Dershowitz, comes from the word ‘darshan’—a preacher or teacher. It makes sense that I ended up being a teacher of law and even taught Jewish law as well.”
What kinds of cases made the biggest impact on you?
“The ones people thought were unwinnable. Like getting Natan Sharansky out of a Soviet prison. They said it was impossible—there was no legal system in the USSR. But I identified with him deeply. Our families could’ve easily switched places if our parents had taken different turns. That personal connection drove me.”
He continued, “I’ve had clients I deeply admired—and some I despised. But like a doctor in the ER, a lawyer has to serve justice, regardless of personal feelings.”
You’ve spoken strongly against antisemitism from all sides. Where is the threat coming from today?
“There’s only one serious threat—and it’s from the left. Left-wing students, universities, high schools—it’s pervasive. There’s a disdain for Israel, Zionism, America, Western civilization. Sure, there’s antisemitism on the right, but it’s selective. On the left, it’s mass, deep-rooted, and it’s coming from the future leaders of our country.”
What caused that shift on the left?
“It began when the Soviet Union turned against Israel in the 1960s. Communist parties worldwide followed. Today it’s fed by dangerous academic doctrines—intersectionality, critical race theory, post-colonialism—all of which label Jews and Israel as privileged oppressors.”
Can Ivy League schools ever change?
“They can. And I say: go there and fight back. Don’t run away. Cut funding where needed, push for accountability. I’m debating at Yale soon on this very issue. Students need to demand real education, not propaganda.”
Dershowitz believes that donors have a role to play. “Selective withdrawal of funding can wake up institutions. We’re starting to see that with Columbia. I hope Harvard and Yale follow.”
What would you say to Jewish students today?
“They have a future. Not in their fraternities maybe—but in law firms, tech, business. Jews do best when they rely on themselves. We won’t be favored anymore, and we have to be okay with that. We’ll still lead in science and innovation, but we may not get the awards or titles. Like in Czarist Russia—Jews became the best in areas they could control themselves.”
What worries you most about American Jewry?
“That we’re disappearing. Reform and Conservative Judaism haven’t done enough to keep Jews Jewish. Orthodoxy has. Intermarriage is rampant. But the answer isn’t fear—it’s making Jewishness a source of pride. If young people value it, they’ll marry within it.”
He joked about how many Jews disappear after their Bar Mitzvah, but added seriously: “We need to focus on the positive. When Israel is attacked, we focus on defense. But we also need to show the world what Israel contributes—healthcare, tech, science. Show what Judaism gives, not just what it prohibits.”
Was October 7th a turning point for you?
“Everything changed. I went to Israel shortly after to see it for myself. Israel, the best intelligence-gathering nation in the world, was caught off guard. That can never happen again. And then, before Israel even responded, students across the world turned on us. That shocked me.”
Did you expect that reaction?
“Not to that extent. I saw it coming years ago. I even predicted it in my book Chutzpah in the ’90s. But I never imagined people I know—or their children—marching with Hamas.”
Do you think it’s slowed intermarriage or changed young Jews’ outlook?
“I wish I could say yes, but no. October 7th represents negative Judaism—being a Jew because you’re hated. That’s not enough. We need positive identity. Not ‘I’m a Jew because of Hamas,’ but ‘I’m a Jew because I believe in Torah and values.’”
What are some of your favorite Torah ideas that resonate with your legal work?
“I love the principle of ‘Lo takir panim’—do not recognize faces when judging. Justice must be blind. That’s something I carried with me in courtrooms every day. We also have to remember, as the Torah teaches, that truth must stand even when lies dominate the headlines.”
What do you want your legacy to be?
“That I fought back. That I stood up for Jews—even when other Jews didn’t stand by me. I’ve been banned by some liberal Jewish institutions. But I never canceled them. I was part of the fight to defend Jewish values, Zionism, and Israel. I want to be remembered as part of that proud tradition—Herzl, Jabotinsky, Begin—I was never elected, but I gave my life to defending our people.”
And in lighter moments, he’s still very much part of the community. When we mentioned our South Florida cholent contest, he lit up. “I judged the official contest in Israel—with a Supreme Court justice! So yes, next time—I want to taste them all!”
As we approach Pesach, Dershowitz reminded us that blood libels are not history—they’re happening today in the form of false accusations against Israel. “They said we used Christian blood for matzah. Today, they say we commit genocide. Same lie, different form. We must fight with truth.”
Any final message to our readers?
“Be proud. Don’t hide. Wear your Jewishness on your sleeve. Build families, build communities, and never stop learning. And above all—never give up. That’s our legacy. Let’s live up to it.”
Alan Dershowitz has never been afraid to speak the truth—whether in court, in class, or in defense of his people. And for that, we owe him a debt of gratitude.
