Eitan Levine grew up in New Jersey, where, as a child, he was diagnosed with cancer — an experience that led to one of his greatest lifelong passions: the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“They were the first to give me an opportunity — they organized my very first stand-up show when I was just a teenager,” he recalls.
Today, Eitan gives back to the foundation in a remarkable way. As a lifelong sports fan, he set out to break a Guinness World Record for throwing ceremonial first pitches at baseball games across America, raising funds and awareness for Make-A-Wish in the process.
“My Masa backpack was great — it only tore at the very top of Masada,” he jokes early in the conversation, filled, as always, with humor.
“In high school, I wasn’t good at Jewish Studies or Hebrew. But in Israel, I learned how to learn. It completely changed my confidence. I realized I was fine — it was the teaching method that hadn’t worked for me. At yeshiva in Israel, everything clicked.”
During his Masa year in Israel, Eitan also pursued his love for comedy — and even won a stand-up competition in Jerusalem.
After returning to the U.S., he studied at Yeshiva University.
“Over time I drifted a bit from religion — and then the pandemic hit.”
During COVID, Eitan used the global shutdown to break out on social media, creating uniquely Jewish, humorous content that went viral.
“I finally learned to choose for myself how to connect to Judaism, and how to represent it.”
At the same time, he worked as a writer and entertainment journalist.
“Once, I wrote something mildly negative about Taylor Swift. I still got hate mail months later. People think pro-Palestinian are rough? Try upsetting Swifties,” he laughs.
Soon after, Amazon Prime launched a new sports network and offered Eitan a two-hour daily show, allowing him to spend a full year talking about one of his great loves — sports.
Then came October 7.
“My content stayed funny, but suddenly it had a deeper meaning. Before, people recognized me but just whispered about me. After October 7, people came up to me in the street to thank me for what I do.”
With tens of thousands of followers, Eitan now hosts a popular podcast, producing viral street segments like “Jewish or Antisemitic?” and runs a game show called “That’s So Jewish!” His work has been featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and The Daily Show.
“There’s so much negativity online,” he says, “but I try to channel my platform toward positive things. I love Israel. I lost friends because of my content after October 7 — people who said things like ‘Israel deserved it.’ But I also found a community, including non-Jews, who don’t carry that hate. I want to highlight what’s beautiful about Israel, not just the war.”
When asked what advice he would give to young Jews around the world, Eitan says:
“Don’t let the poison take over. Don’t chase likes or views — stick to your values. Israel is so much more than war — it’s my favorite place after New York. It’s amazing food in the shuk, the stunning beaches of Tel Aviv, and so many beautiful things. Experience Israel’s joy before you experience its defenses.”
Eitan continues to create new projects constantly. Recently, he launched a digital food series in partnership with Manischewitz, titled When Can We Eat?, exploring Jewish cuisine across America with his signature humor.
That project also introduced him to many Jewish college athletes in need of kosher food and community, which inspired him to found Tribe NIL Sports — a network of over 180 Jewish student-athletes who receive both financial and emotional support throughout their athletic journeys.