“No day is promised to us. You don’t know what’s going to happen,” said DeLuca. “There’s no reason to hide who you are.”

Last semester, Shai DeLuca, an expert on CityLine and Canada’s number one interior design expert, came to speak at Clark University at an event sponsored and hosted by CAMERA, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis.

DeLuca’s resounding message is that we never fear being our true selves. His presentation discussed the challenges that many in the Jewish community face as a people with a connection to Israel, the only homeland of the Jewish people.

DeLuca’s story in defense of Zionism is an encouraging one; every person in the room was moved by his story of resilience. “It is really important not to hide,” DeLuca proudly proclaimed.

“The term Zionism has been skewed and weaponized to mean that the Jews are a colonizing people which is the most ridiculous assertion,” DeLuca explained. “I’ve been all about reclaiming the term to its original meaning. Zionism is not about politics, color, religion, or lifestyle. It is just the concept that Jews belong!”

DeLuca has faced many challenges in the Canadian entertainment industry. After various instances of harassment, he finally took steps to make a bold statement. A few years ago, he commissioned a special tattoo on his arm that reads “Am Yisrael Chai,” or “the nation of Israel lives.” DeLuca explained why he did this: a protest against a publicist at his television station. His co-worker regularly targeted DeLuca for his Israeli identity, even requesting that he remove all references to Israel from his social media profile.