Life Begins Where Fear Ends with Israeli Transgender Activist Michael Alroy

Join Israeli transgender activist Michel Alroy as he shares his personal journey as a transgender man, from his childhood in South Africa to navigating life in Israel. Michael dispels common misconceptions and stereotypes about gender and sexual orientation, and emphasizes the importance of developing tolerance and recognition of “the other.” He encourages the audience to make positive changes in their lives and awaken their potential and power. Michael has delivered this lecture to organizations and schools worldwide, including Apple, Microsoft, Dell, The Hebrew University, the Israeli Air Force and many more. Michael draws on his personal journey as a transgender man to educate and dispel common misconceptions and stereotypes, providing insight into life values and awakening the potential and power of his audience to make positive changes in their lives. With sensitivity and sincerity.

Michael Alroy

“Life begins where fear ends” was Michael’s motto when he made the bold decision to undergo gender reassignment surgery at the age of 21. This was an irreversible decision, which finally allowed him to be and look, the way he felt. From that point on there was no hesitation, regrets, and no holds barred as he transformed himself from Michelle Haziza, to Michael Alroy – a man of his own. Michael Alroy was born Michelle Haziza in Johannesburg South Africa in 1990. He spent the first seven years of his life in South Africa and attended a Jewish Day School in Johannesburg until Grade 1. In 1997 at the age of 7 he immigrated to Israel with his divorced mother and two siblings. His father returned to Israel about two years later to reunite with his children and his family who live in Jerusalem.

After a period of adaptation and integration, Michael acclimatized to the Israeli culture, but his father insisted that he receive a national religious education, so he was sent to an all-girl religious school for his middle and high school education. Michael struggled to adapt to the strictly religious environment of his school as he began to experience a conflict with his gender identity. He felt like a boy in girls’ clothing and hated the rules about dress and behavior imposed on him by the school. Nevertheless, the girls admired his spirit of independence and insistence on being and acting as he felt. As you can imagine his school life was fraught with conflict and feelings of duality and awkwardness. His most joyous day was when he finally finished his schooling and was able to dress and act as he wanted, although after that came his recruitment to the army where as you can imagine he encountered more difficulties.