By Eli Friedman
So you’re Jewish, reaching for the sky in your business, and you’re searching for the perfect balance between your Judaism and your work.
May I introduce you to Eli Lunzer? Eli’s career is peaking. His company, Eli Lunzer Productions, is a destination for some of the globe’s top athletes and celebrities, and he has worked the NBA All-Star Game, Super Bowl, The Masters, US Open, Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, Golden Globes, Oscars, and more. Career-wise, he’s arrived. His influence is vast, his portfolio is dazzling, and his clientele is top-shelf.
Customs
What are some customs following a Brit? Most of the many customs of the Brit Mila are rooted in the mystical teachings of the Kabala. When the actual brit is completed the guests all bless the child, saying “Just as he entered into the covenant, so may he be introduced to the study of the Torah, to the chupah and to good deeds.” Also, it is customary to make an advance payment on the tuition fees for the child’s Jewish education.
And with all that, Eli’s got wisdom too.
Incredibly, his clients and partnering brands all know - Eli is completely inaccessible from Friday evening to Saturday night, and if a meeting is going to include dinner, it’ll have to be Kosher.
He may have lost some potential business over it, but Eli has been clear about his boundaries from day one. He has spiritual ethics that are non-negotiable, it’s a personal thing he has going with G-d and he’s not flexible about it.
Can you guess who one of his greatest inspirations is? That’s right - Sandy Koufax. Koufax, one of the best pitchers in baseball’s history, resisted enormous pressure to work a World Series game on Yom Kippur and sat it out. Above Eli’s desk, there hangs an oversized portrait of Koufax with his immortal words: “There was never any decision to make, though, because there was never any possibility that I would pitch.”
That matter-of-fact approach is reflected perfectly in Eli’s own. He has lines he won’t cross and it is what it is.
In a fascinating twist, he’s discovered that specifically the top echelon athlete or celebrity is the most likely to relate to his rules of engagement. That they find themselves at the top of the pile is almost always the result of incredibly hard work and - here’s the key - discipline.
Whether it’s workouts, training, or other regular exercises to maintain their edge, these outliers are inflexible about them. Their training time is off-limits and their devotion to those hours and those pursuits is complete. They attribute their success to that strict discipline and they find Eli’s personal limits eminently relatable. Not always logical - but relatable.
Amazingly, the very approach many Jews fear will alienate potential high-powered clients is actually what they share in common with them: inflexible disciplines.
Eli urges fellow Jews to be proud of who they are. After all, to a billionaire who takes pride in himself, there’s nothing more natural than you taking pride in yourself. And though the silence at times can be deeply frustrating, the vast majority of people he’s met with are strongly - though quietly - supportive of the Jewish People. He finds no reason to cower.
Be spiritual, be soulful, and observe your Jewish obligations and restrictions proudly and without fear. Realize that a truly serious commitment to solemn principles is just the thing the most driven people in the business world have in common with you. Hold your head high and don’t throw it away.
Eli Lunzer will tell you, it may just be your key to some serious success.
