“As a Chinese outsider with no ties to this region, I have become a radical observer,” Sophia Zhan, a traveler and freelance writer from Guangzhou, China, told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
Sophia came to Israel as part of her journey through the Middle East – Oman, Dubai, Jordan, and Israel – with the intention to write about her experiences “as a Chinese outsider with no connection to this region.”
She was originally supposed to leave Israel on February 18th, but said: “something in this land held [her] back.” She cancelled her return flight to China and chose to stay in Israel to write a book.
“I was just a regular Chinese traveler on vacation in the Middle East during the Chinese New Year,” she told the Post. “My plan was to travel from Oman to the UAE, Jordan, Israel, and Nepal, then return to my normal life in China. I never imagined I would want to stay in Israel, as I had no expectations for this country at all.”
“However, something happened to me in Jerusalem, and it totally changed my plan – and even my life.”
Sophia explained that, before coming to Israel, her knowledge of the country and of Jews was quite limited.
“Like most Chinese people, I used to think of Jews as somewhat mysterious,” she said, adding that “there isn’t much coverage about Jews or Israel in China, apart from in the last two years, because of Gaza.”
“But if I had to name a turning point in Jerusalem, it would be what I felt at the Western Wall on Shabbat morning. The night before Shabbat, I felt something calling me to the Wall. I was in immense pain at the time, [and] didn't know what to do. I thought: Jewish people believe this is the place closest to God. Maybe I can try to listen, too.”
Although she has never considered herself particularly religious, Sophia found herself having a powerful emotional reaction to the holy site.
“Standing there, listening to the prayers and chanting, I leaned against the Wall and cried,” she said. “I still didn’t know what it meant. But that was the moment everything shifted for me. That was when I started to feel – really feel – some kind of connection to this land.”
So, she stayed.
Stuck in Tel Aviv
However, just a few weeks later, Sophia found herself stuck in Tel Aviv as war broke out with Iran. Unlike Israelis, Sophia had no experience of such a conflict, and the experience has been traumatic.
“I haven’t been managing at all,” she said. “Sometimes I didn’t even know what day it was, didn’t know day from night.”
“The sirens every single day, life constantly interrupted – how strong does one have to be to keep living in this country? I can’t help but admire the resilience of Israelis, but I also understand their helplessness. Because nowhere is safe for them. This place they’ve worked so hard to build as their home – it’s both unsafe and, paradoxically, the safest place they have.”
Nevertheless, amidst the sirens, she managed to complete a 40,000-word manuscript and a formal book proposal for her memoir, Between the Walls.
“Just like I wrote in my book: ‘F*** the war. Let’s live our life.’ I think that’s human nature,” she said. “And maybe it’s also something uniquely Jewish.”
Sophia posted about her story on a Tel Aviv Facebook group, and found her inbox flooded with hundreds of messages. The post both sparked and built powerful connections. Over the past few days, she has sat down face-to-face with a memoir writer who helped her rethink her book’s structure, and a talk show host who connected her with people who can help bring her story to the world. She is now seeking an Israeli literary agent or publisher to bring her work to life.
The ultimate mission of her book is to spread “love” to Israel, to China, and the rest of the world and “to offer a Chinese woman’s perspective, a unique blueprint and inspiration for those who seek to tear down walls and reclaim their personal sovereignty.”
“As a Chinese outsider with no ties to this region, I have become a ‘radical observer,’ witnessing firsthand how nations, religions, and cultures build walls of hatred that isolate humanity,” she added.
“I believe I am here for a reason,” she said. “This story doesn’t just belong to me; it belongs to Israel, because it was born here.”
“In Israel, I discovered something deeply familiar. I have wept at the Western Wall, and I have grown stronger while running to the shelters in panic. In your ancient stones and your modern struggle, I found a mirror to my own soul. I realized I am no longer just an observer; I am ‘in’ here.”
“Through Shabbat dinners in Jewish kitchens and life-or-death moments running to shelters during missile strikes, I realized my role: I am not Jewish, but I have internalized the resilience of a people under siege.”