Benji has been translating the Israel experience through laughter since his aliyah flight landed in 2006. Here’s a glance at what makes this magical and crazy country such a funny place.
Benji presents a hilarious picture of Israel by deconstructing cultural differences and the immigrant experience in Israel. Benji’s energy and enthusiasm will make you laugh out loud as he sheds light on embarrassing Hebrew mistakes, Jewish holidays, and exactly what makes Diaspora and Israeli Jews different from each other.
Benji offers a range of fun and educational presentations and workshops to not only make you laugh , but to make you think. From Israel’s Foreign Ministry to Masa Israel Journey, Benji has worked with many organizations to help them understand and bridge the cultural divide.
“Benji's workshop on cultural differences was surprisingly refreshing. I appreciated that it didn't succumb to shallow stereotypes, but rather respected the many differences we all embody, and showed alternative ways to bridge the cultural gap.”
Shoshana F. , WeWork Dubnov, Tel Aviv
“Benji designed an amazing workshop for our staff, enabling us to identify some of our misaligned expectations. In 90 minutes, we achieved breakthroughs in understanding how to work well together, and we laughed along the way!"
Naomi Korb Weiss, PresenTense co-director
"Benji's talk about the history of Israeli humor was both funny and educational. Using a combination of historical context and personal stories, his clips reinforced what our class had learned in a fun and interesting way. I would highly recommend his lecture."
Michal Reuveni, Student Services Coordinator, Tel Aviv University, Intl MA in Middle Eastern Studies
"Benji performed for a JCC Birthright group of summer camp staff. If there's someone else who does a better job of breaking down the differences between American and Israeli Jews, and in such a funny way, I haven't seen it. They didn't stop laughing for an hour and even the 'serious' conversation at the end was fun and educational. Benji should be a must on every Birthright tour."
Jodi Sperling, Senior Consultant on Overnight Camps, JCC Association
"My students and faculty alike loved Benji's routine! I highly recommend him for any other group, especially for those who have recently or will shortly experience Israel - it's fun as well as educational too!"
Rabbi Matt Rosenberg, Executive Director, Texas A&M Hillel
“Benji facilitated a fabulous team-building exercise for our PresenTense Global Fellows. Utilizing the tools, techniques, and theories of improv, they were able to build community amongst our group, and it taught them valuable lessons to apply to the Fellows’ venture development.”
Shelby Zitelman, Co-Director, PresenTense
"Benji's workshop on the power of Jewish humor was terrific! Captivating fifty teens and keeping their attention for over an hour is a challenge for the most experienced of educators. Benji took them on a journey from serious discussion to fun/creative performance within minutes. They not only laughed, they thought and explored. Highly recommend."
Mordechai Cohen, Head of School, Alexander Muss High School in Israel
"Benji performed at a Yom Ha’atzmaut party we co-sponsored with Masa Israel Journey – he provided us with the perfect, hilarious, low-key Israel-focused program to help celebrate this fun day. The crowd was laughing the whole time, and we practically had to force them out the door at the end of the night! "
Julia Malkin, Associate Director of National Young Leadership, Jewish Federations of North America
"Benji Lovitt was a hit at the Lapid World Jewish Teens Council! He successfully managed to crack up even the toughest of high schoolers, who were all delighted with his performance."
Sarah Vanunu, Director of Communications, Lapid Coalition for High School Age Programs in Israel
"Benji Lovitt is a master educator. His blend of humor and history allowed our community to explore and engage with the complexity and beauty of Israeli society."
Rabbi Annie Lewis, Germantown Jewish Centre, Philadelphia, PA
"Benji's workshop on improvisation taught me very important lessons in how to communicate but most importantly how to be a better listener when talking with a colleague. I brought his exercise back to my full staff and it was both helpful and impactful."
Gary J. Bomzer, President/CEO, Michael-Ann Russell JCC
"Benji's talk on the history of Israeli comedy was educational, inspiring, and very captivating. He is a very gifted speaker and the program was wonderful. I would highly recommend him!"
Rabbi Brian Strauss, Congregation Beth Yeshurun, Houston, TX