A Yale-based Jewish leadership society called Shabtai (formerly the Chai Society or Eliezer) has become the subject of online discussion and commentary following a video presentation by independent journalist Kim Iversen. The group, which describes itself as fostering intellectual discourse and leadership among Jewish and non-Jewish elites, counts high-profile figures across politics, media, and national security among its affiliates.
Origins and Founding
Shabtai was founded in January 1997 at Yale University by a group including then-law student Cory Booker (now U.S. Senator, D-NJ), Noah Feldman, Ben Karp, Michael Alexander, and Rabbi Shmully Hecht of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. It began as an "open" intellectual salon and Shabbat dinner forum aimed at discussion and mutual improvement, modeled in part on Benjamin Franklin’s Junto Club. Unlike traditional Yale secret societies such as Skull and Bones, it has operated more openly while maintaining exclusivity.
The society expanded significantly after a major donation from Israeli-American businessman Benny Shabtai and his family around 2014, which helped acquire the Anderson Mansion in New Haven. Shabtai (the person) is a restaurateur (Serafina chain), a board member of Friends of the IDF, and a noted philanthropist in Jewish causes. His name appears in documents connected to Jeffrey Epstein, including Epstein’s contact book and emails; reports confirm the two men knew each other and travelled together to Israel in 2008. Shabtai has acknowledged the friendship but faced separate, unrelated personal legal disputes.
Notable Affiliates
Public records and Wikipedia list current or past affiliates including:
Public records and Wikipedia list current or past affiliates including:
- Cory Booker (co-founder)
- Vivek Ramaswamy (pharmaceutical executive, former presidential candidate)
- Elbridge Colby (former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in the Trump administration)
- Michael Knowles (conservative commentator)
- Others such as political strategist Nicolas Muzin
Ben Karp, a co-founder and brother of Palantir CEO Alex Karp, was involved in the early days. The society hosts weekly dinners, debates, and events, including some with controversial Israeli political figures, which have sparked campus protests and internal debates about its direction.
Context and Controversies
Iversen’s presentation frames Shabtai as part of a broader “power pipeline” linked to pro-Israel networks, citing member influence in U.S. politics and national security. She and others reference retired Col. Douglas Macgregor’s public comments alleging that Jewish/Israeli billionaires played a key role in supporting Donald Trump’s political rise. Macgregor has repeatedly criticized U.S. politicians for becoming “very, very rich” through support of Israel and has described pro-Israel financial elites as exerting significant influence.
Claims portraying Jeffrey Epstein as a Mossad operative appear in unverified FBI informant accounts and online speculation but remain unsubstantiated by official conclusions. JD Vance has not publicly endorsed that specific view in mainstream reporting.
Shabtai’s leadership, including Rabbi Hecht, emphasizes free speech, Jewish identity, and leadership development. Critics, including some on the left, have accused it of tilting toward right-wing Israeli figures; supporters see it as a vital intellectual space.
Broader Picture
Networking societies, elite universities, and ethnic/religious leadership groups are common in American elite circles (e.g., various Ivy League alumni networks, think tanks, and faith-based organizations). Shabtai stands out for its explicit Jewish leadership focus and high-profile bipartisan roster in an era of intense debate over U.S.-Israel relations, foreign policy influence, and elite institutions.
Whether it represents benign networking or undue “pipeline” influence is a matter of perspective. Public records show a transparent (if selective) organization with documented funding and membership, not a hidden cabal. Claims of secret control or espionage require rigorous evidence beyond association and should be approached skeptically amid longstanding antisemitic tropes about Jewish power.
For primary details, refer to Yale Daily News coverage, Shabtai’s own events (some streamed on Shabtai TV), and Wikipedia’s sourced entry. Iversen’s full video provides her interpretive narrative.
This story reflects verifiable public information as of mid-2026. Influence networks exist across many groups; scrutiny of all is fair game in open discourse.
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