Emmanuel is a Black American former NFL player and sports media host, born to Nigerian immigrant parents. Seeking to extend his previous work on race, he positions himself as an outsider asking honest, difficult questions about Jewish identity and antisemitism. He addresses the tension of supporting his Jewish friends while remaining sensitive to the concerns of his own community.

Noa is an Israeli American actress, producer, and former Special Envoy for Combatting Antisemitism. Born in Tel Aviv to a secular family, she serves as a guide for Emmanuel, providing historical context, personal testimony, and direct answers about Jewish identity. She balances her professional advocacy with intense personal grief over the violence facing her community.

Herzl is a historical figure born in Budapest who begins his career as a journalist and playwright. Initially believing in assimilation, he changes his views after witnessing the Dreyfus Affair in Paris. He concludes that anti-Jewish hatred is a permanent fixture in Europe and dedicates the rest of his life to advocating for Jewish self-determination.

Al-Husseini is a historical leader of Palestinian Arab nationalism and an opponent of Jewish immigration to the region in the 1920s and 1930s. His leadership involves organizing riots against Jewish communities. He eventually seeks alliances in Europe, meeting with Adolf Hitler in 1941 to secure support against the proposed Jewish homeland.

Tova is one of the youngest known survivors of the Auschwitz concentration camp, having been sent there at five years old. She survives a malfunctioning gas chamber and carries the tattooed number A27633. As an adult, she dedicates herself to Holocaust remembrance and education, sharing her testimony to ensure history is not forgotten.

Sharansky is a Soviet-born Jewish human rights activist and Israeli statesman. Arrested by the KGB in 1977 for his advocacy, he survives nine years in Soviet prisons before his release. He provides the conceptual framework that the authors rely on to distinguish legitimate political criticism of Israel from anti-Jewish hatred.

Ari is Noa's young son. He provides a brief but grounding moment in the book when he plainly states what he perceives as his mother's life purpose.

Dina is Noa's grandmother. She manages to escape Poland before the outbreak of World War II, preserving her branch of the family tree while leaving others behind.

Gita is Noa's great-aunt who remains in Europe during the Holocaust. She survives a mass shooting by hiding under the bodies of her family members for an entire day before escaping, a trauma that leaves her spirit permanently broken.

Noam is a survivor of the October 7th massacre. She survives by hiding under the bodies of her deceased friends in a garbage container, directly echoing the historical survival story of Noa's great-aunt.