Comedy and BYU football will collide Saturday night when quarterback Jake Retzlaff participates in a unique event hosted by Chabad of Utah County.
Retzlaff won’t be telling any jokes, at least not officially. He’s saving that work for comedian Eitan Levine.
Instead, Retzlaff, who is Jewish, will participate in a Q&A following Levine’s set, as well as a VIP meet and greet.
Rabbi Chaim Zippel, co-director of Chabad of Utah County, said it will be moving to hear “authentic, raw responses from Jake.”
“Our local community loves Jake. The people that have never met him love him,” he said. “He became this person that the local community is hungry for opportunities to interact with and to see with their own eyes past just on our televisions.”
Rabbi Zippel said Retzlaff’s story “has taken the Jewish news world by storm,” thanks, in part, to Levine.
Who is Eitan Levine?
Levine is a writer and comedian, whose work has been featured on several late night and daytime talk shows. He previously hosted the live sports show, “Game Breakers.”
Levine is also the mastermind behind Retzlaff’s NIL deal with Manischewitz.
He reached out to the company and told them to sign Retzlaff, according to Levine’s TikTok. The two sides then brokered a deal and had Levine produce a commercial for the famous Jewish brand at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
“Manischewitz is one of the most iconic brands. Everybody knows them from their matzah or from their matzah balls, and they had this viral clip that was arranged by this comedian that we’re bringing out, Eitan. Eitan called Manischewitz, and he basically brokered this deal for Jake. They put a commercial together, and it went viral. I had relatives in Israel calling me up. But they reached the Israeli news,” Rabbi Zippel said.
Levine then got in touch with Rabbi Zippel, and they decided to host the upcoming comedy show.
The power of Jake Retzlaff
Growing up, Rabbi Zippel could name nearly every Jewish professional athlete. He knew of Jordan Farmar not because of his basketball skills but because he was Jewish.
“Not that I was chasing the NBA, but it’s like, you know, we also have the ability to reach these places and to chase our dreams, which is unbelievable,” he said. “I know that that has already been happening with Jake.”
Retzlaff has become famous in part because he’s a Jewish quarterback at Brigham Young University, which is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. BYU football’s success last season also helped.
He was highlighted by CBS Sports and ESPN’s “College GameDay” in video features this fall. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency included Retzlaff in its list of top sports moments of 2024, as the Deseret News previously reported.
Just a few months ago, three families flew out to Utah from Chicago to see Retzlaff.
“Three dads with their individual kids flew out here to watch Jake play because one of their kids was a Jewish ninth grade quarterback in Chicago, and he instantly connected with Jake. And Jake became his idol, just to show him how possible it is,” Rabbi Zippel said.
Tickets for the event are selling quickly but can still be purchased online.
The event will be held at Saprea in Lehi, Utah, on Saturday from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. MST.
“People should not miss their opportunity. Opportunities like this don’t come up often. It’s open to the community, whether your Jewish or LDS or anything in between,” Rabbi Zippel said. “It’s gonna be a good time, so don’t miss the opportunity. Grab your tickets while you still can and join us.”