Jonathan Levi
Met 2023-09-14 15:00 at Numa Hotel, She’erit Israel 1 Tel-Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel.Moved to Israel 10 years ago, from California. His dad told him many, many times: life will be easier if you marry a Jewish woman, even though he's not religious, because of the cultural shared values. He's Ashkenazi and Sephardic, and so is his wife, so they have many aligned values. Raising their kids to be culturally Jewish.
Two kids, age 9 months and 3 years. Took them all to Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Shenzhen is so safe, green, tree-lined streets, kid-friendly, access ramps for strollers. All buildings made for kids, with kids’ toilets, diapers, breastfeeding rooms. Really encouraging having babies.
Questioning their future in Israel, bceause of the liberties being taken away. In U.S. the secular population is generating most of the income, but the religious population sets the rules. Same in Israel. Doesn't seem fair that the religious scholars who don't pay taxes and don't serve in the military are deciding the laws for everyone. Divorce in Israel is terrible. Religious court decides.
Part of the appeal of moving to Israel (for others, not him) is it's just easier to be kosher, follow Judaism, Jewish holidays.
Grandparents had their German citizenship taken away in 1933, so now he was able to get it back and has German citizenship.
Knows rich family with four grown kids, each motivated and driven, working to make their own thing instead of depending on family money. How? They instilled the value that the family money belongs to the parents, not kids, so they can take inspiration from it, but can't take it. Seinfeld’s kid asked, “How much money do we have?” Jerry said, “I have lots. You have nothing.”
His Superhuman Academy runs without him. He got into 3D printing because he has a burning desire to keep making things. He told me that now’s the time to get a 3D printer because of Bambu Labs A1 Mini. (I got one the following month, thanks to his recommendation, and love it.) See https://gridfinity.xyz/ for perfect organizing. Amazing what people are doing and sharing. Great community. He started a YouTube channel around this because he loves teaching. https://www.youtube.com/@thenextlayer Though the algorithm is a never-satisfied beast you have to feed. You have to create a video every week, so he outsources his video editing. It's a lot of work.
He did INSEAD 2012-2013. “I never had a paycheck I didn’t sign.”