Influenced by Faith: How These Jewish Influencers Are Changing the Social Media Game

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. 

Are you ready for some connection? Check out some of our favorite influencers—including Taglit-Birthright Israel alumni!—who’ve built impressive followings. They bring the recipes, the laughs, the how-to’s, and more!

Sex-Positive Jewish Pride

Arielle Kaplan, a Taglit-Birthright Israel alumni from 2017, is a social media star, influencer, podcaster, meme page owner (@hebrewnightschool, @onlyfans.memes), OnlyFans “accountant”, digital editor for Hadassah, advice columnist for Jewcy’s “Hey Bubbela” section, and self-proclaimed “Jewish Internet Princess”.

And wow, is Kaplan a force to be reckoned with! Her love of Israel, intense Jewish pride, and shutting down of Internet trolls, antisemitism, and hatred online has made her a pretty big deal in the Jewish social media-verse! Known as “@whoregasmic” on Instagram and “@buffyfangirl94” on Twitter (yes, she’s a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fangirl), she loves to talk about all things Torah, sex-positive culture, pop culture, and always spills the boiling hot tea of today. 

She’s even hosted a mini-series on Torah portions for Hey Alma titled, “And God Was Like…”. Arielle is also a contributing author at several amazing Jewish publications like Kveller, The Nosher, and more.

Originally from New Jersey, Kaplan built her following as the co-host (alongside Rachel Wainz) of “Balls Deep,” a comedy podcast on sex, dating, and Q&As following the order of “schmoozing, boozing, and newsing”, sponsored by feminist, inclusive, and ethical porn company, Bellesa Co. 

While “Balls Deep” is no longer in production, Kaplan is still present in the podcast world, regularly appearing on and guest-hosting other popular headphone-fare, like Crazy Hot: The Podcast, The Sensual Revolution, Girls on Porn, and several others.

And now she’s back and ready to rumble with a new podcast, Good in Bed with Arielle Kaplan, which dropped this June 2023. If you’re ready to deep dive into hilarious disucssions about sex and gender, give her a listen. 

Follow Arielle Kaplan:

Twitter: @buffyfangirl94

TikTok: @buffyfangirl94

Instagram: @whoregasmic

Chef Bae’s Kitchen

Brooke Baevsky, a Taglit-Birthright Israel alumni from 2018 is the ultimate foodie influencer. In the words we’ve all heard from our bubby, “She’s good for the Jews.” And when Bubby says it, you know it’s true. 

Learn more about Baevsky’s Bubby in Baking With Bubby.

Brooke Baevsky is a self-made, private celebrity chef and developer of nutritious and delicious recipes. A New-Yorker-turned-Californian, Brooke works in Los Angeles modernizing traditional Jewish cuisine, while also creating healthy, filling, and flavorful Mediterranean dishes among many others.

Baevsky is not only a standout chef, but also a social media star. Her gimmick? She started out online by making the most basic meals with the most expensive ingredients, sourcing her items from shops like Erewhon to make dishes like peanut butter and jelly.

Since then, her attention-grabbing video titles and top-tier ingredients have scored her tons of likes, comments, and shares. On top of making the fanciest PB&Js around, Brooke is a visual foodie, decking out each dish she makes to the extreme.

Because of her shtick, Baevsky has been a guest on Food Network, NBC, and Test Kitchen, and she’s been featured in TONS of articles by Daily Mail, Voyage LA, Newsweek, New York Post, and more.

If you’re a foodie, this Taglit-Birthright Israel alum is a must-follow.

Follow Brooke Baevsky: 

Instagram: @chefbae 

TikTok: @chefbae

Website: Chef Bae | It’s Chef Bae (itschefbae.com)

And don’t forget to join our Birthright Israel BEYOND foodie group, Around the Table. 

Her Unorthodox Life

Miriam Haart, a Taglit-Birthright Israel alumni from 2022 formerly known as Miriam Hendler, had her claim to fame the summer of 2021 with the Netflix hit reality series, “My Unorthodox Life.” The feel-good show is about a Jewish family that is grappling with variations in their beliefs, growing up, running a business, and more. 

After Miriam’s mother, Julia Haart, left the Hasidic Jewish community of Monsey, New York, Miriam and a few (not all) of her siblings followed suit. Now, Miriam lives in Manhattan with her mother, filming episodes of “My Unorthodox Life” and establishing herself as a tech expert and businesswoman. Because of the popularity of the show and viewer appreciation of Miriam’s hardworking, hilarious, and spunky personality, she quickly became a social media sensation.

Miriam’s queer, Jewish identity is incredibly important to her and informs her own work, education, and pathway inside and outside her family dynamic. She is not only an influencer and reality television star, but also a public speaker, educator, activist, app engineer, and businesswoman. She’s even credited as the youngest person to teach at Stanford University, her alma mater, where she taught a course in the computer science department. 

Like all great influencers, Miriam’s biggest project now revolves around her podcast, Faking It, which is centered around empowering women and asking big questions. 

She’s known online not only for being a reality TV star and feminist in STEM, but also for being raw, real, and down-to-earth with her followers.

Follow Miriam Haart:

Instagram: @miriamhaart

Twitter: @miriamhaart

TikTok: @miriamhaart

Website: MIRIAM HAART

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!