Vanessa Hidary
Spoken Word Artist

Vanessa Hidary is a trailblazing spoken word artist, educator, and advocate whose work has had a profound impact on both the Jewish community and beyond. Over two decades ago, she began performing her powerful poetry in New York City venues, becoming a pioneering voice for Jewish identity in the slam poetry scene. Her signature poem, "Hebrew Mamita," was featured on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, where she openly discussed her Jewish heritage, challenging stereotypes and fostering a deeper understanding of Jewish diversity. This work connected with Jews worldwide, especially young Jews grappling with expressing their Jewish pride.

Vanessa’s creative work often centers on bridging divides and fostering unity within the Jewish community, particularly among Jews of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Inspired by her own Syrian-Jewish heritage, she founded the Kaleidoscope Project, a narrative-arts initiative that amplifies the stories of Jews of Color, Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews, and those with interfaith experiences. Through personal storytelling, Vanessa provides platforms for underrepresented voices and encourages conversations about identity, discrimination, and belonging.

 Her passion for Jewish identity and storytelling has also led her to collaborate with organizations like Birthright Israel NEXT and the Jewish Education Project, where she created and directed workshops and performance projects, including MONOLOGUES, which explores participants' Jewish identities after trips to Israel. These projects have toured extensively and continue to engage communities across the U.S.

 In addition to her work in the arts, Vanessa has become a prominent advocate for Jewish unity in the wake of the rising antisemitism post-October 7th, 2023. She intensified her activism, traveling to Israel to show solidarity, perform new works, and document stories. Her recent collaboration with Israeli spoken word artist Yoav Talmor on Intersecting Journeys explores the shared and divergent experiences of Israeli and Diaspora Jews.

Through her spoken word performances, workshops, and advocacy, Vanessa Hidary has created a lasting legacy by amplifying marginalized voices and fostering unity within the Jewish community.