Gracey Haninat Hashem Gordon Shares Journey From Hong Kong to Jewish Faith and Life in Israel
Gracey Haninat Hashem Gordon, mother of well-known boxer Ahavat Hashem Gordon, recounts her unique life story in an interview with Hani Lifshitz. Born in Hong Kong to a Thai father and a Filipino-Spanish mother, Gracey struggled with a sense of belonging due to her diverse background and appearance. Feeling out of place in Hong Kong, she sought community and identity, which eventually led her to connect with a Jewish American man named Azriel (formerly Dennis) from New York through pen pals before meeting him in person.
Their relationship blossomed despite cultural and age differences, leading to marriage and a shared desire to help others. While Azriel was a non-observant Jew and Gracey was raised Catholic, her curiosity about Judaism grew, especially around Shabbat and biblical stories. This spiritual exploration deepened as they lived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and later Florida, where she engaged with Jewish communities and began observing Jewish customs. Recognizing the need for formal conversion to fully embrace Jewish life, Gracey completed the process, which also inspired Azriel to reconnect with his Jewish roots.
The couple’s visit to Israel during the High Holidays profoundly impacted them, revealing a vibrant Jewish society living according to the Jewish calendar. This experience motivated their aliyah despite initial challenges such as language barriers and economic uncertainty. Settling in northern Israel near Tiberias and Migdal, they adapted to new realities while raising seven children, each given meaningful Hebrew names reflecting faith and family history.
Gracey explains that their distinctive names, including that of their son Ahavat Hashem, symbolize their spiritual journey and identity. Though some Israelis found the names unusual or questioned their use of the divine name, for the family, the names represent a declaration of faith and the path from a childhood of alienation in Hong Kong to a fulfilled Jewish life in Israel.
