The GuyAnd he was in New York, all the time. Can you imagine that? A single Jewish man in New York? Manhattan, even…and we never met…

Ari Goldman, 34, who lives in Manhattan, where he runs a highly successful vintage comics enterprise, outpaced dozens of other eligible Jewish males who were interviewed by a local production company in a global search to find a Jewish Prince Charming for 17 similarly recruited Jewish Cinderellas.

He outpaced dozens of other eligible Jewish males! DOZENS! Alert the media! But with a name like that, don’t even bother to Google him. (Trust me. All you’ll get is listings for former NY Times reporter, Columbia Journalism professor and author Ari L. Goldman.)

For those of you who read this far thinking I was announcing my engagement, I’d like to clarify that this is not my Prince Charming we’re talking about. This is Israeli reality television’s new star: the kosher Bachelor, if you will. From the producers who brought you the Ambassador and of course, everyone’s favorite Israeli reality show, Take Me Sharon. (Never heard of it? Harry has. He knows things. So does Allison. But I digress. Regularly.)

For your convenience, I’m pleased to present this list of the more vomitatious/comedic/interesting highlights (it’s a fine line…) of this article:

*The use of the phrase “love is an international language” to explain why it won’t matter that the guy’s American and doesn’t speak Hebrew, while many of the women–who hail from many countries including Estonia, Ethiopia and Canada–speak only broken English.

*The name of the show, Mikol Habanot B’Olam (“Of all the girls in the world”). “Goldman will complete the [contrived, I wannabeacatch] phrase at the end of the show when he tells the young woman of his choice: ‘Of all the girls in the world, I picked you.'” (Awww. Or baaarfff. You pick one.) It’s a wonder that the original slogan, “of the seventeen girls that the production team picked for me, I felt like you were the lesser of seventeen evils and PS, you’re hot,” didn’t make the cut.

*Goldman doesn’t live in Israel. Welcome to the qualifier, that you’ll notice, steers clear of denominational identification:

Except for the (fairly significant) fact that he doesn’t live in Israel, Goldman, according to Lapid, qualifies as a staunch Zionist by any definition. He’s also traditional in his Judaism. Although he travels on Shabbat, he makes a point when in the US of having Friday night dinner with his family. He eats only kosher, and moreover dons a kippa when he sits down to eat. He also studies with a rabbi every two weeks. Some of the young women he’s about to meet are fully Sabbath observant. Some just eat kosher but don’t observe the Sabbath, and others are barely observant at all.

Finally, something potentially interesting. I hope that Jewlicious’s Israeli readers will let us know if any conflicts arise from issues surrounding styles of observance.

*It’s a tour even better than birthright! (Except without the Jewlicious hadrakhah)(counselor leadership):

Goldman meets them all in Jerusalem at the start of the show, and then courts one each week in a different part of Israel, so that audiences not only participate in a possible unfolding romance, but also get a broad view of the country.

*And finally, I’m pleased to conclude with a disembodied quote that could have been uttered either by Goldman, by his friends, or by the show’s producer:

“There’s a myth that Israel has the most beautiful girls in the world, and actually because of the mixed gene pool, it happens to be true.”

I’ve read that four times, and I I’ve come to the conclusion that whoever uttered this quote meant “belief” and not “myth.”

But I do hope that Goldman finds his Myth Miss Right. And if he doesn’t, he’ll just have to come back to New York, dating desert that it is, and take his rightful place among the other literal dozens of single Jewish men, as he tries to put the “Man” back in Manhattan.

And when if that happens, he should probably call the singles columnist at the New York Jewish Week for a post-reality reality checkinterview. Just a suggestion.

About the author

Esther Kustanowitz

For more posts by Esther, see EstherK.com, MyUrbanKvetch.com and JDatersAnonymous.com.

62 Comments

  • call the singles columnist! Very cute Esther! He’d be lucky; you’re pretty.

  • I’m not sure you can be a Zionist without living in Israel. But I’m damn sure, lulei demistafina, that you can’t be a STAUNCH Zionist without living in the Holy Land

  • I am never surprised anymore by these new reality TV shows. My sensitivity has been dulled by past shows like the one in which contestants competed to see who get the sickest first! Yes… with contestants trying to get as many illnesses as possible. Crime TV has a pretty sick show in which every week they interview real murderers. What a world we live in 🙂

  • OMG, Jason. I can’t believe I didn’t see it. And BTW, linking to Buffy’s a really good thing in my mind. 😉

  • A staunch zionist would own a home in Israel, and spend about 3-4 months a year there, w/ the goal to move their perm. Then again, is it staunchly Zionistic, those who make their homes in Israel but work each week in N.America?

  • Admit it Esther – it’s just because you don’t like comic books.

  • In case you didn’t know already, ABC-TV (the news department, no less) has a documentary series on Thursday nights at 9:00 pm profiling 11 New York women who use the internet to find men to date. Cameras then follow them on their dates so we can witness how they interact with the men they are considering for the position of “Mr. Right.” I don’t know how good this Israeli-produced tv show will be, but it just goes to show you that the only singles that are interesting enough to profile on television are New Yorkers. Go figure.

  • Too good for me? Are you sure that’s what you meant, Barefoot?

    And for the record, I do like comic books. Just not to the exclusion of dating.

  • ari is a big fat lier he broke up with my sister right before he left for isreal. every thing on this site about him is fake. he just wants attention. this show is going to go down.

  • Amelia, sorry to hear about the breakup, and I hope your sister’s ok. He wants attention? Of course…that’s the only reason to go on a reality show. As to the fakeness of the information posted, I didn’t make it up out of my head: that’s what the production company’s PR machine is sending out there. If you have an insider scoop to share as to why this show “is going to go down,” feel free to do so by emailing me privately.

  • Amelia, tell your sister its no big loss…he wasn’t being faithful while in NY anyway.

  • The truth about this reality show:

    1. The show is really a joke. Most of the girls
    are very shallow. Everything is scripted
    and conspired.

    For example: in the first show, one of the girls
    was asked to bring her brother with her to the
    meeting so he can check ari (trying to make the
    fake impression of a tradtional family).

    2. Ari just reads scripted lines, he
    obivously does not have very good verbal skills.

    3. Ari was too fat for the show, and had to
    go on a special crash diet before the shooting
    began. Like most people who diet, he will get back
    to his former weight sooner or later..

    4. While he is presented as the super rich guy who just wants to do a favor to an israeli girl, he is not that rich, and actually, he is using the show to promote his relatively modest animation-posters business located in NJ. He probably does not have
    more that two employees…

    5. You can search for “Ari S Goldman” age 34
    from nj or ny
    in any people search engine, and get the full
    official records on this fake personality,
    his lack of real wealth or real integrity.

  • This fake person is a kiss and tell kind
    of guy..

    Here is his “highly successful company”
    web site:

    http://www.allanimation.com/

    This web site has probably nothing
    more important to say than to display
    the full JPOST article about Ari and the
    17 girls…

    It’s obvious that Ari S. Goldman
    is a very small businessman, unlike
    the impression he is trying to create
    in Israel.

    Both he and his company had no references
    whatsoever in the media before this
    fake reality show.

    I would not be surprised if he will soon
    start selling signed posters of himself
    “eliminating” girl no. 1, 2, 3 and so forth…

  • We have Adam. We have (the garden of) Eden.
    What lustrous creature the writer (probably
    a disillusioned ex) is refereing to?

    A little litarary sophistication, middle.

  • Ari is actually a very nice guy. My sister knows him personally. Not shallow at all!

  • How can any of you people out there take this seriously? Everyone is being fooled. Ari is an overweight moron who was put on a diet and talked up. There are 1,000 better candidates for this show other than that fake jackass, whose insecurities he has has since being a chubby child are still haunting him. He is not very much liked in NY at all.

  • If his parents did not have money (which they do), ari would be a bum (which he still is). He sells cartoons for a living and cheats on every girl he has dated.

  • Ari Goldman is such a catch!
    Did I type catch?!
    I meant KVETCH!
    Only outdone by the Skanky Israeli Hoes that were drooling over themselves vying for position
    in Ari’s shallow heart.
    Did I type heart?!
    I meant FART.
    Which IS JUST WHAT THE SHOW SMELLED LIKE.

  • Ari was outdone by his father
    who when introduced to one of Ari’s
    reject skanks at a club, repeatedly announced in front of Ari’s poor mother ” How he would never have rejected such a “Peyew”tiful giiirl”!
    Upon watching Ari’s father’s behavior and listening to his comments, it was to difficult to see where Ari got his skewed and perverse values from.

  • Ari was outdone by his father
    who when introduced to one of Ari’s
    reject skanks at a club, repeatedly announced in front of Ari’s poor mother ” How he would never have rejected such a “Peyew”tiful giiirl”!
    Upon watching Ari’s father’s behavior and listening to his comments, it WAS NOT to difficult to see where Ari got his skewed and perverse values from.

  • I am a girl from isreal and really want to know the truth about him cause here everybody thinks he is Mr.right or so..
    if u know him or know if any of this is true or not pleae comment this.

  • Ahhh I cannot believe it!
    I am gonna quit the show and get back to Canada!!

  • I WERE THIS SHOW AND HE SAID I NOT GOOD BECASE I DONT SPEK ENGLISH! AND HE NO KISS ME AND SAYD GO HOM!
    I HATE ARI GOLDMAN

    I KTZINA IN THE ARNY!!

  • Natlie – not to worry! They’s lots of US Jew People Boys would would love to VIOLATE YOU! AND give you green card, too, and then you to be wonderful JAP, and sell real estate in great country and get rich then visit Israel once five years to say relatives: I am no rich American chick with big butt! Plus I dump stupid, wimpy American boy who never serve in army, not kaztina like me and take shower ever day ugh. make me sick, jew know dat? No I free. Rich free and in NYC/LA/MIAMI all time.

    I play wit Israelis only. We smoke and listen to bad Shlomo Artzi songs, thinking of Israel all de time. Yes, Ahh….I rich JAP now and life good.
    Just 20 pounds more to go and I am thin katzina again…

    Then I get head of El Al. Bachurot! Stay with DIBS. They better in everything. EVERYDING! They strong. They no take my bullsh*t, they just hit me and then you know what? I be quiet. Yes, it works!

  • I met Ari a year ago, and while, yes, I admit he did lose some weight I have to say he’s not all that bad. He is sucessful, he is wealthy, and he’s generally a nice guy. He’s got this great personality where he always wants to make eceryone around him happy! I bet no one realized he’s friend with Bill Rancic, the star and winner of US reality show The Apprentice season one! Bill was a pretty nice guy on that show, I doubt he would be such good friends with a jerk! Yeah so Ari’s rough around the edges c’mon he’s from New York but really I think he’s a pretty cool guy!

  • I recently met Ari and have spent time with him. He is nice and seems to have a good outlook on life. I have not known him long enough to know what he was all about before but for what its worth he has been very honest about things and most of all VERY FUN. he has a great group of friends in nyc.. most of you seem overly sensative to what is supposed to be entertaining… and by the way he is really HOT!

  • I know Ari and would not be surprised if he wrote all of the nicer articles posted here. The bottom line is he is very insecure and is not capable of having a long term relationship. He has potential to be a nice guy, but due to his insecurities is past the point of no return. He does have a good short term rap and is not afraid to spend some not hard earned cash to show off similar to throwing chum in the water while fishing. This is also where he picks up his friends who come along for the ride. There is also nothing wrong with having rich parents, but he pawns it off as his own success which is just wrong. Anyway, not sure what he is trying to accomplish, especially after appearing on the dating show Shipmates back here in the US. After wearing his legendary white suit, I guess he was forced to go to Israel to a totally new audience. What does it saw to be on a reality show anyway? Hey look at me, I’m on TV…yes, I’m really a very big idiot.

  • if what you say about ari is true..do you think it is true about his nyc friends too???? i really really like one of his friends and i hope he doesnt turn out to be a jerk.

  • Dear “Natalie”,
    I’m from Israel.Give me a brake! The real Natalie from the show is in the army or somewhere else.. and I’m sure she has no time to write it. And how can you think that Ari would keep Natalie on the show when they can’t communicate? Think about it.

  • You guys! who cares???
    Seriously now, I am an American girl studying in Israel and I have been very much enjoying the show up until now… But that’s because I like reality T.V. The point of the matter is that It’s all bullshit anyway, no one that is famous in Israel ever makes itbig in the U.S (except natalie portman or that guy from the mummy, and hes not so big if you know what i mean). so dont involve yourself too much in this because eventually, when it comes down to it… do you really care that much if he succeeds or fails??

  • Come on people, give the guy a break. I don’t know Ari; he could be the nicest guy on earth or the meanest guy on earth. But he’s not here to respond to people besmirching his name, and remember: just because people here write stuff about him, it doesn’t make this stuff factual. Just try to think that maybe he agreed to take part in this show, because he really hopes to find love, even if there’s only the slightest chance. And I won’t be surprised if Ari is being used by the show production; after all they don’t really care about him – they only care about the ratings. I have a hard time believing that Ari really wanted to be “sold” as a millionaire who came to Israel to look for a bride. His finances are nobody’s business. I won’t be surprised if he now regrets doing the show.

  • ari i love u. i think u r the fun-est hottest guy and have a lot going on. i hope we are 2gether soon

  • All these discussions are not dealing with the real question: is he really a bachelor?

  • It was already said, see Amelia Hess’s comment (8/1/2005) and Cynic’s. I want to know if that’s true.

  • you’re all wasting time going on about this. everyone is both right and wrong at the same time. point is, people are multifaceted, so only the people close enough to ari can comment on him as a person (or the people who were close to ari). and fancy legend…watch out for those guys. they’re good to be friends with, but have a tendency to hold back (parts) of the truth when it comes to girls they are dating. they’re in ny, they’re rich, they’re playboys. but fun as hell.

  • Look, men of all ilks and net worths and reality show contestants and civilians can be jerks. Or princes among men. But I certainly don’t think being on a reality show does anyone any favors. But a friend’s brother recently told me that Ari is his buddy from camp and is a good guy, so I’m gonna run with that as an assumption.

    Everything’s relative, people. If I like a guy and he doesn’t like me, then he may be a jerk for not liking me, but not a bad guy in general. Get it? I’d still be interested in interviewing Ari about his experience though, as this seems to remain a post of interest to people out there. Maybe I’ll try to do that over the next month or so…

  • I live in Israel, and I just wanted to add my two cents:

    In the last episode it beame cler to me that there is a HUGE gap between the Ari’s sister world-view and any modern Israeli girl world-view. If Ari agrees with his sister, then Israel is definitely not the right place to look for a girl.

    Charlene (Ari’s sister) says that Neta’s “big problem” is that she has ambitions. Duh!!! Come on, Charlene, what year is it? Do you really think that all the nice gewish girls dream about having a bunch of kids and staing home? You know what – could be, but not now and not in Israel.

    I’m not saing that staying home with the kids is bad. On the contrary – it was great when my wife stayed home with our daughter for some period, but I wouldn’t expect from any modern israeli woman not to work for like 15 years (Charlene, 6 kids – respect!!!) .

    I’m also having a hard time believing that a girl who’s willing to participate in such a reality show would like to stay home. But that’s just me 🙂

    As for Neta saying that she wants “to take a break” when she’ll have kids – I’m pretty sure than by “break” she means a year or two (for every child), just for the child to be ready to go to a nice kindergarten. She just wanted to say something that Charline would like to here (and Charline understood that :).

    As for the “Judaism test” that Charline has prepared for Maria – men, this was really stupid. I don’t think that any of the girls would pass it. In fact, I believe that most of the young israeli girls would fail. What Charlene doesn’t understand is that “Jewish” is not equal to “Religious”. There are huge supermarkets here that sell non-kosher food, and – surprise !!! – a 100% jews are shoping there (and please, don’t give me the usual story about russian immigrants that are not jewish and bla-bla-bla). The fact that someone is a jew does not make him a judaism specialist.

    And before you say anything – I’m all for marrying only jews. I just think that Charlene doens’t truly understand how stupid and inappropriate her test was, and based on this test she adviced Ari to let Maria go.

    Anyway, if Ari’s world-view matches his sister’s, then he has a problem.
    Two girls left: Neta is the girl with ambitions that will not stay home all life cooking a dinner for him, and Mary is a really sweet girl who is only 21 and is really afraid to think of marriage and kids at this point.

  • i was born in israel(long ago…)and i live here all my life.believe me,you wont find one israeli girl who is ready to adopt the golman’s victorian style of life-giving up education and career while your husband supports you(and leaves you with big nothing when you’ll get divorced).after hearing ari’s sister says that not having a manicure-padicure is foreign to her,i felt sick and had more than a slight nausea.i would’nt drean to be a part of such a snob and primitive family!!! i think that this is basically a stupid and a repulsive show-do you really think that israeli women are waiting for a rich jewish prince to take us to his antipath family in the states to live there for ever? i prefer israeli men hundrets times more(they are not all cave men,you know…)it’s not only because of mentality differences,it’s also because israel is my country.it’s a difficult place to live in,but it’s MINE!and i wish the production had bring here a prince charming who also considers to make aliya,instead of someone who is living the american dream,but living in israel is a nightmare for him(and his family).i don’t understand at all why is he looking for an israeli woman?what about all the nice kosher jewish girls there? and we do’nt even go to the synagogue…

  • The other half of the reason that staying at home with the kids is a foreign idea to most modern israeli women is because we HAVE to work alongside our men to support our families, mortgage, bills, etc, whether we’re carreer-minded or not, the economy is just much tougher here than in the states.

  • dear charline-from all the bitches in the world-you are the one!

  • is there a website that we can call or email so we can order some of the older shows

  • Jessica, you’re right is many cases.
    But in my case for instane (and in cases of many of my friends) my wife makes less money than we pay to the kindergarten + fuel for the car when she goes to work and gets back. So from a purely financial point of view, it makes more sense for her (and many other women that we know) to stay home. Nevertheless, this was never the option for us.

    But, as you said, there are also many cases when the woman HAS to work support a family.

    My pont is: if a man makes enough money, how many girls that would like to stay home do you know?

  • i appreciate the advice from ha. . ha r u too a playboy? how do u know that ari and his friends r? r u one of his friends? where do u live ..sounds like u r not from ny.

  • I am delighted over Ari’s final decision to choose ‘Mary’, as I found her to be the only one from the group suited to him. May they have a happy and healthy future together. Coming from a South African living in Israel.

  • So ari chose a canadian princess(with israeli parents) over the israeli cinderella and they will live happily ever after in NY, but who knows, maybe their children will make aliya…

  • I did know Ari and his family. I was his first girlfriend and we shared our first kiss. Back then his family was awesome and he was kind. Our first date was to a James Bond movie in Great Neck. Needless to say I don’t remember the film at all. I don’t believe in this reality show stuff especially to find a mate.

  • OK. I live in miami. I am jewish 49 and single with kids. I am going to be at Sunset Place, (if you live in Miami, then you know where it is), I never go out, but I decided I really, really need to go out and have a bit of fun. I will be at Martini Bar, if anyone is interested I will be there will my cousin, that is the cue word…..

  • who reads this stuff?! if it’s all like that I work near his headquarters & can snap some pics for $ 😉

  • I just stumbled upon this and read the comments. Let me start by saying this I’ve know Ari for about 6 years, I have dated Ari and am still great friends with him. Ari is a wonderful person, I consider him one of my closest friends and the comments about his family are bogus. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting both of his parents, lovely people. Who is writing this nonsense about Ari’s “two” employees lol, rest assure he has more than two I’ve met them on a few separate occasions. Honestly, if you do not know Ari personally do not write about what you “assume” he’s really like. XOXOX Dalia