(JTA) — When Ari Siegel took the stage on a recent episode of “Shark Tank,” he was dressed as Abraham Lincoln, but with a Jewish twist: His outfit featured a kippah and a kapota, the black robe traditionally worn by Hasidic men.
The get-up reflected Siegel’s pitch for History By Mail, a historical document subscription service, as well as his Jewish identity — which he said are interconnected.
“History informs a lot of our daily life as Jews and our psyche and so trying to make American history part of everyday life, and informing Americans on how they make decisions and live their lives is almost like bringing the Jewish experience to the American people in a way,” Siegel said in an interview.
Siegel ultimately struck a deal with multiple members of the reality TV show’s judging panel during an episode that aired earlier this month, adding him to the tally of Jewish entrepreneurs to see their businesses turbocharged by “Shark Tank.” The Hanukkah doll Mensch on a Bench, for example, had its breakout moment after its creator, Neal Hoffman, appeared on the show.
Within an hour of the episode airing, History By Mail set a daily sales record, a spokesman for the 10-employee company told CNBC.
Growing up
Siegel grew up in a fifth-generation Reform Jewish family in Michigan and became more religiously observant when he attended the University of Michigan. He also took an internship with Sen. Carl Levin, a Jewish Michigan Democrat, during which a visit to the Library of Congress first planted the idea of History by Mail.
While there, he encountered a handwritten letter from Abraham Lincoln, and said the experience made him realize that the best way to learn about history was through primary source documents. He was also inspired by the stories of his grandfathers, who both served in World War II.
Part of the “unconscious” impetus behind History By Mail, Siegel said, was the way Jewish learning centered on the study of primary sources, such as the Torah and Talmud.
“We are used to, in a Jewish context, learning from primary sources, but out there in the world, people don’t typically learn that way, and so it’s sort of bringing a Jewish style of learning to the general public,” said Siegel.
He began sending replicas of historical documents to friends and family, and from there he launched his business in 2019.
Siegel said his great-great-grandfather immigrated to America in 1881 and started a watchmaking business and jewelry store and passed down his entrepreneurial spirit.
“There’s something in the Jewish culture or DNA that is very much about entrepreneurship,” said Siegel.
In his “Shark Tank” pitch, Siegel presented each judge — known in the show’s parlance as a Shark — with an edition of History By Mail.
Two Jewish Sharks took a pass on Siegel’s pitch: Mark Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks minority owner whose edition focused on the history of basketball, and Lori Greiner, the TV personality who got a version about Annie Oakley.
But, the Mexican-born Jewish founder of KIND Snacks, was moved after getting a replica of an order from U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and an eyewitness sketch of a D-Day platoon leader. He and Barbara Corcoran, the famed real estate agent, together pledged $250,000 for a 20% equity stake in History By Mail.
Lubetsky’s father, Roman, was liberated by American soldiers after the Holocaust from the Dachau concentration camp, where a small act of kindness by a Nazi soldier ultimately inspired his son’s snack brand.
“Mine is related to my father. My father was liberated by American soldiers.” said Lubetsky on the show. “This is beautiful.”
After the taping, Siegel says he gave Lubetzky some sheets of the stamps he uses on his mailings, which coincidentally feature a Japanese-American soldier from the platoon that freed Lubetzky’s father.
“The impact of history is seeing the interconnectedness,” said Siegel. “One thing that had happened a long time ago has ripple effects years later, and so it gives depth and context to the present moment that you see that it’s more than what it seems.”
He said his Jewish identity arose in his “Shark Tank” experience even before he showed up in a kapota, which he does not normally wear but had custom-made in Thailand for his appearance. As he prepared for his episode, Siegel said he successfully pushed back on the studio when they initially scheduled his taping for Shabbat.
Siegel and Lubetzky finalized their business deal this year on the Jewish holiday of Tu Bishvat, and Siegel said he put out KIND Bars for his guests as an homage to his new business partner.
“He made his fortune on fruits and nuts, and this is the holiday of fruits and nuts, and it just like happened to be that I came to the terms of the deal with him on that day, which was amazing,” said Siegel.
