the seen
Aaron Parnas, Whose Dad Was at the Center of the Trump-Ukraine
Scandal, Is a Pro-Ukraine Infl uencer on TikTok
Lev Parnas tried to leverage aid to Ukraine to get President Joe Biden inves-
tigated. His son is racking up millions of TikTok views by praising Biden for
giving Ukraine aid without conditions.

Aaron Parnas, who is 22, has emerged as a leading pro-Ukraine voice on
the video app. He posts videos of himself updating his 1.2 million followers
on an hourly basis about Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Often, his dispatches are dry, seemingly drawn from news headlines with
little elaboration. But sometimes they dip into trend territory, as when he lip-
synced the lyrics “Isn’t this easy?” over the text “Supporting Ukraine instead
of Russian war criminals.” He also says he gathers information from family
members who live in Ukraine.

Parnas’ reach is so great that the Biden White House included him last
week on a call with social media infl uencers whom they hope will combat
misinformation about the war and the U.S. response to it. That briefi ng was
fi rst reported by The Washington Post, which said that some of the content
creators on the call were shocked by Parnas’ presence.

That’s because he is the son of one of the men at the center of the scandal
that led to former President Donald Trump’s fi rst impeachment — a scandal
that centered on Ukraine.

An associate of Trump, Lev Parnas — a Jewish businessman who was
born in Odessa, then part of the Soviet Union, before moving to the United
States at age 3 — allegedly helped Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani
coax Ukrainian offi cials to investigate Biden, then the Democratic presiden-
tial candidate, and his son over the latter’s seat on the board of Burisma
Holdings, a major Ukrainian natural gas producer. They refused.

Trump was impeached on charges that he refused to give Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelensky aid and an invitation to Washington, D.C.,
unless Zelensky agreed to investigate Burisma and charges that Ukraine
had meddled in U.S. elections. Zelensky did not comply with the demands;
a Republican-majority Senate acquitted Trump of those charges.

Aaron Parnas in a TikTok video
Parnas has since turned on Trump, been convicted of campaign fi nance
crimes and pleaded guilty to separate fraud charges.

Aaron Parnas made headlines in 2017 when he enrolled in law school at
George Washington University at age 18. He has since graduated, switched
from being a Republican to a Democrat and has begun working as an
attorney in Miami.

Parnas was not the only Jewish infl uencer on the White House call. Ellie
Zeiler, who headed a Jewish youth group in San Diego before focusing
full-time on her TikTok, where she has more than 10 million followers, told
The Washington Post she sees herself as “a White House correspondent
for Gen Z.”
— Philissa Cramer
Volodymyr Zelensky bobblehead
Ukraine’s Jewish
president Volodymyr Zelensky has become
a global symbol of defi ance as his
country endures an all-out off ensive
from Russia.

4 British lawmakers gave him a
standing ovation. Fans have set his
speeches to rousing soundtracks.

And Jewish supporters have called
him a “modern Maccabee,” a ref-
MARCH 17, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
erence to the ancient Jews who
stood up to a formidable army in the
Chanukah story.

So it only makes sense that he
would join the ranks of the public
fi gures immortalized in a bobble-
head doll.

The National Bobblehead Hall of
Fame and Museum in Milwaukee,
co-founded by Jewish Illinois native
Phil Sklar, has announced a Zelensky
bobblehead, and will donate some
of the proceeds to Ukraine relief.

In a statement, Sklar said the fi gu-
rine was intended to “show our sup-
port like countless others throughout
the country and across the world”
and “to help raise funds and aware-
ness for Ukraine.”
The museum said it will donate
$5 from each bobblehead sale to
GlobalGiving’s Ukraine Crisis Relief
Fund. The fund has already raised
more than $10 million to support
humanitarian eff orts in Ukraine and
surrounding areas that are taking in
refugees. The Zelensky bobblehead is
dressed in a dark suit and blue tie,
standing on a base displaying his
name and backed with the blue and
yellow of the Ukrainian fl ag. The item
is available for preorder, selling for
$30 each plus a fl at-rate $8 shipping
fee, and is expected to ship late this
spring. Zelensky’s bobblehead joins
other prominent Jews at the
museum including Moses, Albert
Einstein, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and
Sandy Koufax.

— Jacob Gurvis
Parnas: Screenshot; Bobblehead: Courtesy of the Nati onal Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum
Jewish Owner of America’s Bobblehead Museum
Has a Volodymyr Zelensky Figure in Production



Wish Your Friends & Family
A HAPPY PASSOVER
in the Jewish Exponent
Be a part of our April 14 th holiday edition.

DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 TH
$ Best Wishes
$ A SWEET & JOYOUS
Passover to all for a
Happy Passover
Happy Passover
YOUR NAME
N C
45 D
YOUR NAME
ESIG $
YOUR NAME
ESIG D
45 D
D $
N D
B 75
N A
95 ESIG
N ESIG
Warm Passover
Greetings From
YOUR NAME
– Personal Greetings Only –
PLEASE RUN MY GREETING IN YOUR HOLIDAY ISSUE.

I WOULD LIKE AD (circle one here) A, B, C, D
Name _______________________________________________Phone Number __________________________________
Street Address ________________________________________ City ________________________ZIP _______________
Th e name(s) on the message should read: __________________________________________________________________
I am enclosing a check for $ _________________________________________ (All greetings must be paid for in advance.)
OR email your information and credit card number to: classifi ed@jewishexponent.com.

MAIL TO:
CLASSIFIED DEPT., 2100 ARCH ST., 4TH FLOOR, PHILADELPHIA, PA. 19103
If you have any questions, contact the Jewish Exponent at 215.832.0749 or classifi ed@jewishexponent.com.

JEWISHEXPONENT.COM 5