by Gordon Nary
Gordon: Where were you born and tell us something about your family.
Isabel: I was born in Bogota, Colombia but I legally immigrated with my family to the U.S. when I was 5 years old with my family. My family was Roman Catholic, however, we moved around a lot throughout the country every two years due to my father’s job, so I got to meet lots of people from different backgrounds and religions, which made me want to learn as much about the world as possible and this was something that my mother encouraged. This led me to study all the religions of the world in great depth to be able to understand different perspectives and be able to communicate better. The happiest day of my life was when my family and I became a U.S. citizens on August 2015.
Gordon: What is one of your favorite childhood memories?
Isabel: My favorite childhood memory was discussing art, literature, and music with my maternal grandfather, Jose Guillermo Estrada Alvarez, because he would teach me so much about history and share so many stories of his favorite singers. He taught me to love and appreciate opera and classic literature, which was something that we both enjoyed because we were both the intellectuals of the family and it was something that we both bonded over. I miss him because he died on August 6th of last year and I miss our conversations.
Gordon: Where did you attend university, what degrees did you earn, what was your favorite course, and why was that course your favorite?
Isabel: I have three degrees from Full Sail University, which are a Bachelor’s of Science in Entertainment Business, a Master’s in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. I am currently getting my Master of Arts in Producing (Film Producing & Management) at Regent University. It’s kind of hard to choose from all the degrees that I have which is my favorite course, but I would say that my favorite would be Literary Techniques and Story Development from my Creative Writing degree because it helps to get a solid foundation to write stories, whether they are real or fictional, especially because you have to have an emotional connection with what you are writing. Getting people to feel that connection, the emotion, and the power of an article or a story is the greatest gift that I can give.
Gordon: What inspired you to be a Journalist?
Isabel: I have always been inspired to be a journalist because, to me, most of the positive female figures that I’ve seen in film and TV series are journalists who wanted to show the truth and the humanity around them. These were women who were able to use their intelligence and empathy to ask questions that connect with the world around them, while also sharing stories that inspire goodness in the world. I also was inspired by Benjamin Franklin and how he was able to tell stories that had a deep impact on the American psyche and be first-hand witness to many important events not only as diplomat but as a journalist. However, the reason that I became a journalist was because I wanted to introduce people to new topics and stories that teach them that even though there are bad things happening in the world, there is plenty of good and that they can help these good things to spread and inspire people to be better people.
Gordon: You are currently a Journalist with The Daily Runner. What inspired you to interview Brendan Murphy on Understanding Antisemitism?
Isabel: When I wrote that article, Antisemitism was at an all-time high in the U.S. There were student protesters at different universities throughout the country who were threatening the physical safety of Jewish university students and other Jews during the aftermath of October 7th, 2023. So, not only were Jews attacked in their homes by Hamas and other terrorist Palestinian groups through horrible atrocities, but they were also being attacked here in the U.S. because of their beliefs, race, ethnicity, and the political belief that Jews deserved a place to call home in their ancestral homeland of Israel in the Middle East after centuries of persecutions throughout many countries around the world. Everyone deserves a place to feel safe, especially if they are following all the laws.
I had Jewish friends growing up and understood how Antisemitism had been growing very rapidly, but nothing could prepare me to see the videos of all of the horrible crimes that occurred on October 7th and the attacks to Jewish citizens in the U.S. throughout social media and on news channels. It was horrifying how many people were supporting Hamas and the atrocities they committed on innocent Israeli citizens and their families which echoed what many Jewish people had faced throughout centuries through persecutions, the Spanish Inquisition, pogroms, and other horrifying events that you would think that modern people would have outgrown. I was just horrified that not only were they mourning the tragedy that their brethren were suffering in Israel but were also facing similar conditions here.
I wanted to make a difference to support the Jewish community, and I had heard about Brendan Murphy from different websites about his lecture series: Why the Jews? Understanding the Long and Tragic History of Antisemitism and the Future of Jewish-Christian Relations and I realized that he had the valuable insight of a Christian scholar who dedicated most of his life to fighting Antisemitism. He was able to help non-Jews understand Jews and the importance of fighting Antisemitism in a way that was academic, intellectual, and emotional point of view that moves people, whether in person or through written text. Being able to ask meaningful questions to someone who had meaningful answers was both a motivating and inspirational experience for me because I’m sure Mr. Murphy was able to change people’s perspectives on the Israeli-Hamas and Antisemitism situations in a positive way.
Gordon: You also wrote Facing the Shadows: A Rabbi’s Perspective on Contemporary Antisemitism. What prompted you to write this?
Isabel: Most American people don’t know a lot of Jewish people, in fact, some have never met a Rabbi before. To be honest, there is a common misconception of what Jewish people are like and what their practices are despite most American filmmakers, actors, and singers being Jewish. What better way to clear the misconception than to ask a Jewish Rabbi questions about what made him decide to be a rabbi and what his childhood was like along. I also wanted to ask him the tough questions about Antisemitism, the Israeli-Hamas War, and what he wanted non-Jews to know about the Jewish people. I think this step of towards communication also helps reduce the fear and anxiety people have towards the Jews because they can see that they are normal people like you and me who have dreams, hopes, aspirations, and feelings like everyone else. By ridding the world of stereotypes and malicious rumors, we can overcome the major hurdles that unfairly surround the Jewish people.
Here is a quote a Jewish friend taught me when he told me the story of a Gentile who wanted to be taught the entire Torah (Five Books of Moses) while standing on one foot and Rabbi Hillel told him, “What is hateful to you do not do to another, the rest is commentary, now go and study!”
Gordon: We are blessed to have such a talented journalist address Antisemitism.