On October 8th, 2022, billions watched as Kanye West tweeted that he was going "Defcon 3 on Jewish people." The following month, I encountered more antisemitism online than ever before, simply because of my last name. In response, I began speaking out on TikTok, addressing the issue while others remained largely silent. Though hateful comments escalated, the overwhelming support from millions of people of all faiths and ethnicities quickly overshadowed the negativity.

By May 2023, I had grown a TikTok following of over half a million. While building an online community was meaningful, I craved real-life connections, like many people post-COVID. As a proud Jew who found traditional temple services hard to connect with, I founded Nice Jewish™ to create a modernized Jewish community for everyone. Our guiding principle was simple: you don't have to be Jewish, you just have to "Bee Nice."

We anticipated our first Nice Jewish™ meetup would attract 20-30 people, but within 48 hours of posting on TikTok, over 250 people across NYC attended. By the summer of 2023, Nice Jewish™ was hosting bi-weekly meetups, becoming one of the fastest-growing Jewish movements. People from around the world reached out, eager to bring Nice Jewish™ to their cities. However, as I planned events in Europe, the tragic events of October 7th unfolded, prompting me to pause the initiative due to security concerns and the absence of strong voices countering the surge of antisemitism on social media.

In the past, my focus was primarily on content creation, but I've come to realize that hosting in-person events for 400 attendees is just as vital. While these gatherings may not reach the hundreds of thousands or millions I engage with online, there is nothing like fostering a space where a community can grow together in person. Remarkably, we've reached over half a billion people online without capital resources or sponsors. Even more than a year after October 7th, despite many people raising awareness, there is still more darkness than light. With this notion in mind, we are launching the Nice Jewish Ambassador Program to inspire the next generation of Nice Jewish boys and girls to spread light by creating content and hosting events to unite our community.