Meet Brandon Greenspoon & Matt Gontovnick
“We challenged ourselves to create a young, hip brand that has a Jewish component that just isn’t so overt. We’re a clothing brand for the modern Jew.”
What started out as a passion project transformed into a successful business venture for Brandon Greenspoon and Matt Gontovnick.
Nice Jewish Boy Apparel was born after Brandon and Matt returned from their Birthright trip and wanted to maintain the connection they had discovered with Judaism while in Israel.
“We both returned feeling connected to the idea of being Jewish but were unsure how to represent that connection in a comfortable way. We wanted to express the excitement and pride in being Jewish, which is why we created NJB Apparel.
The brand’s name itself is a play on a saying that a lot of people use, especially in the dating scene. People are always looking for a nice Jewish boy, and Brandon and Matt have delivered.
“We challenged ourselves to create a young, hip brand that has a Jewish component that just isn’t so overt. We’re a clothing brand for the modern Jew.”
Brandon and Matt have found that as the company grows and moves forward, they are learning more about Judaism both culturally and religiously. “It has added a depth to our Jewish pride.’
There is a concept in Judaism called “ma’aser”, in which ten percent of an individual’s gross earnings are donated. NJB Apparel is motivated to reach a point where they can partake in this commandment, and they want to involve the consumer in the process. “For every shirt we sell, we will allow the buyer to choose from some Jewish organizations to donate 10 percent of their purchase. That’s a big goal we are working towards.”
With neither Brandon nor Matt having any prior experience in the fashion business, creating the clothing line wasn’t easy. “It was tough to start from nothing, but we have learned a lot, and found that the brand resonated with a lot of people.”
Brandon and Matt are excited at the success of NJB Apparel and look forward to its continued growth. “Right now, it’s a lot of fun. We’re two buddies having a good time and learning a lot. We don’t need a reason to stay motivated- the reasons present themselves.”
Brandon Greenspoon and Matt Gontovnick started Nice Jewish Boy Apparel in January 2018. So far, they have sold a few hundred items and are excited for the upcoming additions to their brand.
For a limited time, NJB has set up the promo code “thehouse” which will allow folks to get 25% off their entire purchase!
Try their brand on for size on Instagram, Facebook and their website!
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Jumans of Toronto is a window into the lives and passion of Jewish young adults making their mark in the world. A 50-part series, Jumans is inspired by Humans of New York. If you’d like to recommend someone awesome to be highlighted, please send an email to adina@thehousetoronto.com.
Written by: Adina Samuels