Influenced by Faith: How Kylie Accardi, Nissim Black, and Dani Bergman Are Changing the Social Media Game

As we explained in our first Influencer blog, the term “influencers” has only really been around (in the way we understand it) for about 10 years. Still, in some way, influencers have always been with us. In the early aughts of the internet, brands would pay popular bloggers to use their products, and long before that, companies sought partnerships with famous personalities to help boost their sales.

Now, it’s not just about selling. It’s about building a following (literally) and connecting with others who share the same interests, tastes, or sense of humor. 

Check out some more of our favorite influencers—all Taglit-Birthright Israel alumni—who’ve built impressive followings. They bring the travel tips, music, entertainment, and more! 

Travel Vlogging the World

23-year-old Kylie Accardi is a Taglit-Birthright Israel alum from 2022 whose time in the Promised Land helped shape her identity as the social star she is today.

Kylie tagged along to Israel with her university’s Hillel organization as a post-grad, alongside tons of friends and strangers. Believe it or not, Kylie was hesitant to take her Taglit-Birthright Israel trip because of her unconventional Jewish upbringing.

Born to a Jewish mom and a Christian dad, the interfaith family didn’t practice much religion. She worried she wouldn’t be able to relate to other trip-takers with more traditional backgrounds—but none of that mattered once she got to Israel. 

The former University of Miami student has a Bachelor of Arts in marketing (with a minor in psychology) that helped her establish herself in the digital era of influencer marketing. Accardi knew she could pave a platform for herself—and this content creator is your go-to-gal for all things sunshine and travel.

Though mainly a travel vlogger on YouTube, Kylie also films videos doing Q&As, celebrating holidays, tagged trends, spending time with friends and her boyfriend, and sharing her “a-day-in-the-life” routines. She does tons of niche travel and personal care product partnerships on TikTok, too, reserving her most spectacular memories for Instagram. And we’re so here for it!

Kylie is always somewhere warm—whether in the water or on land. Her most recent vlogs from her time in Tulum, Hawaii, showcase beautiful landscapes, gorgeous flora, and the best city highlights. Basically, she’s our unofficial, official travel aficionado.

However, we think her very best vlog is none other than her Taglit-Birthright Israel one. (We can say that, right?!)

The summer camp energy and child-like joy Kylie experienced on her Taglit-Birthright Israel trip left her feeling connected to her culture more than ever—knowing she’d always be a tribe member, no matter her experience.

And that’s the best part of Judaism—our connection to our shared histories and ancestors. At the end of the day, it’s how you choose to connect and make meaning for yourself.

Kylie is an open book. Ready to connect with her? You can follow along at her social handles down below!

Instagram: @kylieaccardi

Facebook: Kylie Accardi

LinkedIn: Kylie Accardi

YouTube: @kylieaccardi

TikTok: @kylieaccardi

Hip Hop and Hashem

Nissim Black is an observant Jewish rapper, songwriter, and record producer from Seattle, Washington. While that’s not something you hear every day, it makes Nissim Black all the more cool!

Though he currently lives in Israel, 36-year-old Black is also a Taglit-Birthright Israel alum from Seattle. The trip inspired him to head back to the Holy Land—this time for good—with his wife and seven children in Hasidic Beit Shemesh.

Black and his wife converted to Judaism in 2013, and since then, his music has changed with him. He incorporates life lessons, Hashem, identity, and childhood scars into his music.

Nissim Black’s social media presence is often focused on showing the beauty of Orthodox Judaism and how empowering it can truly be. Judaism is a religion of curiosity that is always challenging us to ask questions, and Black is no stranger to learning Torah.

His hunger for Jewish education (and to lead a Jewish life) fuels his passion for music, which is inspiring to Jews of all walks. So if you’ve gone off the derech, maybe Nissim Black can reel you back in.

Watch Nissim Black answer our 4 Questions:

P.S. We’d like to thank Nissim for being a powerhouse in the music industry and, most importantly? For his song Hashem Melech 2.0. What a banger!

Nissim Black is available on most social media platforms. Follow his channels down below!

Instagram: @nissimofficial

Facebook: Nissim Black

LinkedIn: Nissim Black

YouTube: @nissimworld

TikTok: @nissimblack

Twitter: @nissimblack

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Match!

Dani Bergman was a contestant on Season 1 of the new Netflix series Jewish Matchmaking. The dating show is about Jews looking for love through the traditional “matchmaking” system (in Yiddish, a shidduch) with a modern spin! Contestants are blindly set up with a potential partner via matchmaker (or rather, shadchan in Yiddish) Aleeza Ben Shalom, the love expert.

The scary part? You can only hope to be matched with your one true love! Although things didn’t work out with either of Bergman’s matches on the show, we know Bergman’s bashert is out there.

Dani Bergman is a Taglit-Birthright Israel alum from 2014 whose shining TV personality beams with Jewish pride, on-screen and off! It was easy to love watching every second of our fellow alum represent.

Outside of being a reality TV star, the 27-year-old South Floridian from California has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of California (Santa Barbara). However, she took a totally different career path. That pathway? Marketing.

Dani Bergman is the fabulous CEO and managing director of 1084 Media. She believes that growing up in the social age led her to become a digital storyteller; her career intersection of television and media says it all!

Over the course of Jewish Matchmaking, Bergman put her heart into everything. Whether she was dating or being an all-around Nice Jewish Girl, it’s obvious that she was and will always be one-of-a-kind. 

She’s also quite the TikToker! Dani often posts makeup tutorials, taps into the trends, shares curly hair hacks, and “Toks” all other things beauty, travel, and pop culture. She’s certainly a girl’s girl, always looking for ways to uplift and support other women.

Catch Dani on TV or TikTok!

Want to know more about Dani Bergman? She’s on most social media platforms—just see her handles down below!

Instagram: @danimbergs

Facebook: Dani Bergman

LinkedIn: Dani Bergman

TikTok: @danimbergs

Twitter: @danimbergs

Who do you follow?

Jewish influencers are all over the map when it comes to social media—there’s something for everyone. As the world becomes more and more interconnected, it’s amazing to see so many people engaging with and sharing content about Jewish traditions and daily life.

So our question is, who do you follow? Let us know on our social media channels, so we can follow them too!