<p></p><p><strong>Guest:</strong> Assaf Raz<strong>Length:</strong> 54:41</p><p><strong>Episode Summary:</strong> In this soul-stirring conversation, Joseph sits down with Assaf Raz—a real estate entrepreneur turned novelist whose life reads like an epic. Born in Israel and drawn to the mythos of America, Assaf immigrated to Venice Beach in his early twenties, chasing a dream he’d long revered from afar. For over two decades, he built a life through grit, vision, and entrepreneurial fire.</p><p>But it was a spiritual awakening in his thirties that changed everything.</p><p>Assaf opens up about the moment that cracked his world open, leading him to love, fatherhood, and the written word. He shares the origin story of <em>Rite of Passage</em>, his memoir chronicling that transformation, and how a passion for Roman history nearly birthed a novel—until 2020 changed his course. As the streets around him erupted in unrest, Assaf felt called to write <em>Old Glory</em>, a speculative fiction series born from deep concern for the American experiment.</p><p>Now living nomadically with his family since 2022, Assaf reflects on what it means to belong, to question, and to create in uncertain times. This episode is a meditation on identity, legacy, and the stories that shape nations—and ourselves.</p><p><strong>Themes We Explore:</strong></p><ul><li><p>The immigrant’s mythic journey to America</p></li><li><p>Spiritual awakening and the courage to reinvent</p></li><li><p>Writing as a tool for healing and cultural critique</p></li><li><p>The power of speculative fiction in turbulent times</p></li><li><p>Family, freedom, and the road as a way of life</p></li></ul><p><strong>Mentioned in This Episode:</strong></p><ul><li><p><em>Rite of Passage</em> by Assaf Raz</p></li><li><p>The <em>Old Glory</em> series</p></li><li><p>Roman history and the allure of alternative timelines</p></li></ul><p><strong>Connect with Assaf Raz:</strong> [Insert Website or Socials]</p><p></p>