Tikvah
Editors’ Pick

May 13, 2025

The Making of a Christian Zionist Celebritytest

From television stardom to lighting the torch on Israel’s Independence Day.

On Yom ha-Atsma’ut of 2024, Nathaniel Buzolic became the first non-Jewish non-Israeli given the honor of lighting a torch at the annual ceremony in Jerusalem. The Australian-born actor, known for his role in such popular television shows as The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, came to an appreciation of the Jewish people, the Hebrew Bible, and the Jewish state through his discovery of Christianity. In conversation with A.R. Hoffman and Rebecca Sugar, Buzolic discusses his faith, his biblical Zionism, and the professional costs of defending Israel in showbusiness after October 7. (Video, 39 minutes. Audio-only available at the link below.)

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