Benji Lovitt

During Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014, Lovitt performed together with several other comedians for Israeli civilians confined to bomb shelters or otherwise impacted by rockets launched by terrorists and for Israeli soldiers taking a break from the fighting. While many of the shows were free, the proceeds from those with an admission charge were donated to the Friends of the IDF’s Lone Soldier Program .

Lovitt's January 2014 article in eJewish Philanthropy about bringing short-term Israel program participants to Tel Aviv was one of the site's most widely read and discussed pieces and is often credited with inspiring Birthright Israel to launch the Tel Aviv Urban Experience in 2015.

Lovitt travelled to Israel for the first time when he was 15 years old as part of a Young Judaea trip, and he returned a few years later to spend a gap year before college as a participant on Young Judaea's Year Course program. He made aliyah in 2006, in the midst of the Second Lebanon War, and began writing about his experiences in a blog called "What War Zone???" He currently lives in Tel Aviv.

Lovitt's comedy career started at an open-mic night in Houston, Texas in 1997, and he continued to hone his skills at similar amateur events for several years. After making aliyah in 2006, Lovitt began performing professionally and has repeatedly headlined shows in North America for groups including synagogues, Hillel International, Jewish Community Centers, Israel Bonds, and the Jewish Federations of North America, and in Israel for Nefesh b'Nefesh, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Birthright Israel, Masa Israel Journey, the Israel Scouts, and community missions.