When Samantha Ettus heard that Andy Cohen, the host and executive producer of “The Real Housewives” franchise, was going to deliver the keynote address at a recent summit sponsored by the Combat Antisemitism Movement and Consulate General of Israel in New York, she was pleasantly surprised.  

In the months following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks and subsequent global rise of antisemitism, Ettus founded the Instagram page 2024 New Voices, a platform for celebrity and influencer voices to speak up against antisemitism that has since amassed nearly 50,000 followers. When she reached out to Cohen to ask him to be a part of her campaign, the host of Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live!” — whose social media following is in the millions — did not respond.

“I was thrilled he was finally speaking out and saying he was a proud Jew,” Ettus told eJewishPhilanthropy about Cohen’s participation in “Voices for Truth: Influencers United Against Antisemitism,” a two-day summit that drew more than 200 pro-Israel influencers to its swanky midtown Manhattan venue on June 30 and July 1. Speakers included social media influencers like Ettus and Montana Tucker as well as local politicians such as New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and Israeli Consul General Ofir Akunis. 

“Every time a Jewish person speaks out, we have to applaud them. It’s super important that we are encouraging and supportive,” Ettus said. “It’s never too late to speak out on our behalf.” 

But for others, the fact that Cohen did not post about the event on social media, nor did he share footage of the eight-minute speech in which he professed he is a “proud American Jew” who doesn’t want to weigh in on the “politics” of the Israel-Hamas war, raised eyebrows — both because of ambiguity from event organizers around who paid Cohen, as well as the value of influencer culture and whether the money was well spent. 

Social media influencers have long been seen as apolitical players, associated with fashion, food or fitness, but this has changed amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Hundreds of influencers have amassed internet fame for either promoting Israel or speaking out against the Jewish state, but the value of paying to enlist these public figures — many of whom charge in the mid to upper five figures for appearances — in campaigns and events like the New York summit has come under heightened scrutiny in recent months. 

“I have no doubt [Cohen] was paid, that’s how those events work,” Ari Ingel, executive director of Creative Community For Peace, a nonprofit that galvanizes entertainment leaders to oppose antisemitism and works to oppose cultural boycotts of Israel, told eJP. Another source, familiar with the event, told eJP that at least some of the speakers were not paid, but did have travel accommodations covered.

Ingel, who did not attend the event, said that it’s typical for entertainers to not let the media in on how much they were paid to speak at an event, so it’s normal that Cohen’s team did not respond to inquiries from eJP. 

Both of the organizers — the Combat Antisemitism Movement and the Israeli Consulate — declined to comment to eJP regarding whether they paid Cohen and how much. 

“CAM is choosing not to comment on that,” a spokesperson for the nonprofit, which was founded in 2019, told eJP. A spokesperson for the consulate, meanwhile, said that he did not know who paid Cohen.  

Two sources familiar with the entertainment industry told eJP that celebrities are paid between $50,000- $75,000 for engagements similar to Cohen’s. A few years ago, according to a source, those numbers were closer to $12,000. 

“There is too much bankrolling of already established influencers by Jewish organizations and not enough investment into creating new ones,” a source familiar with the issue told eJP. “You see organizations paying through the roof either as retainer or a one-time sum… it’s almost like throwing cash against the wall.” 

The source, who requested to remain anonymous to protect their job in a Jewish organization, doesn’t have an issue with hiring influencers, per se, but called for more variety. “Why are we not investing in bringing in people who are not yet established influencers? Why are we throwing money at the same people year in and year out? Recruit people on a grassroots level, convince them that they have talent and teach them how to use their voice.” 

Chabad has hosted several networking events for influencers in recent months, including a trip for young professionals, led by Jewish influencers, from Manhattan to the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s burial site, the Ohel, on July 7.  

Rabbi Avi Winner, who runs influencer events at Chabad Upper East Side such as the Ohel visit and an upcoming summer soiree slated for Thursday, told eJP that he has been “inspired and moved by the genuine selflessness and dedication of [influencers].” 

Winner, the director of marketing and media relations for Chabad, said that from his interactions and observations, many Jewish influencers are motivated by ideology, not fame or money. “[Chabad] set out to support them through their own challenges yet they kept insisting that we have to do something for the global Jewish community and the world,” he said. 

Just like celebrities, there is a spectrum of influencer fame, leading to varying levels of salaries. Nano-influencers have fewer than 10,000 followers. Micro-influencers, such as Ettus, have between 10,000 and 100,000 followers. Macro-influencers, like Cohen, are your typical celebrities and well-known figures with the largest followings—  more than 100,000 followers.

But regardless of their level of fame, how much influence do influencers even have? 

The question was addressed at the “Voices for Truth” summit, when Aviva Klompas, co-founder and CEO of Boundless Israel, which works to counter online antisemitism, gave a presentation called “The War of Misinformation: Behind the Screen with Aviva Klompas.” 

“The rule on social media is if it enrages it engages. That makes social media an incredibly difficult forum to educate or engage in respectful conversation,” Klompas said, noting that research by Boundless Israel has found that “there is a relationship between where people get their information and whether they support Israel or Hamas in this war. People who get their information primarily from social media are more likely to support Hamas.”

An influencer who attended told eJP that her takeaway from Klompas’ presentation was that “we are in an echo chamber and nothing we do is really moving the needle at all.”

“I thought it was very funny because this whole event centered around the importance of the work of influencers,” the influencer, who requested to remain anonymous, said. “I think there is a nuance and gray area to it.” 

However, Jonathan Klüser, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Zurich who has analyzed posts created by Instagram accounts with more than 500,000 followers, has found that content had indeed shifted views towards the Israel-Hamas conflict. He writes that “there is compelling theoretical evidence supporting the capacity of influencers to shape political opinions and preferences. Influencers often boast tens of millions of followers, numbers that dwarf the circulation of a typical newspaper.”

“But their influence is not merely the result of their platforms’ vast reach; it isn’t just about the numbers,” Klüser continues. “Instead, influencers wield persuasive power by cultivating ‘parasocial relationships’ with their followers. On Instagram in particular, influencers foster trust, and create emotional connections, which render their messages more impactful, and ostensibly harmless. This enhanced level of engagement cuts through far more effectively than traditional media. It positions influencers as trusted virtual confidants as opposed to remote elites.” 

In the Jewish philanthropic world, influencers began their rise during Israel’s previous war with Hamas in 2021 as a way to battle the incitement and disinformation from anti-Israel celebrities such as Bella Hadid. In an opinion piece published on YNet in June 2023, journalist Emily Schrader claimed that Jewish donors were being “hoodwinked” by influencers, who in some situations buy their followers.  

“There are Jewish organizations that are not being transparent when it comes to social media metrics and are elevating influencers without doing due diligence to ensure they are not fraudulent,” Schrader wrote. “Independent data confirms Jewish organizations have paid tens of thousands of dollars to partner with influencers with a majority of fake followers.” 

Schrader pointed to an unidentified Jewish activist who reported that her organization had paid tens of thousands of dollars in speaking fees for an influencer who had “a completely fake following.” 

“It’s like people see a big number of followers and don’t understand that it’s all fake. Meanwhile, at least some of these activists are exploiting our community to try to get accolades and promote their own companies and products that aren’t even related,” the activist said. “Jewish donors deserve authenticity and transparency. Both donors and Jewish organizations need to have a deeper understanding of how social media influence can be fabricated, as well as how analytics can be selectively manipulated, or this problem will only get worse as the community continues to elevate those who are exploiting the commitment of Jewish donors to supporting Israel and combating antisemitism.” 

Ingel was also skeptical about promoting and paying for influencers to begin with, even if their followers are legitimate. “Whether the right people are getting paid, that’s a whole other question,” he said. “Should the Jewish community be paying influencers who have been working on this for maybe six months and their knowledge is what they’ve learned over Instagram instead of paying a person who really understands this stuff? That’s something that’s a little ridiculous. I guess the thinking is that they are popular people, but it’s a little unfortunate that some organizations would rather pay an influencer to speak instead of someone knowledgeable.”

Ingel said that hiring influencers can be a “disservice [to] the people who have studied, as well as to the community that they are trying to educate.” 

At the same time, “it’s never bad to get everyone together and build a sense of community,” Ingel said. “I wouldn’t say [the summit] was not worthwhile… [but] was it the best use of funds?”

“I think a lot of funding does unfortunately go to waste in the Jewish community in general,” Ingel said. “That could be everything from funding a Jewish studies program at a university to giving to legacy organizations and believing that they do all the work or paying influencers who are not an expert on the topic.” 

“The general issue people have with influencers, whether in the Jewish community or in general, is that influencers have gained this massive influence in today’s social media,” Ingel continued. “All people with big followings are seen as experts on a topic when they certainly are not, and then celebrities [become] influencers and they have more power than ever before due to the reach they have.”

For that reason, Ingel encourages people to “fact-check and do their own research.”