Valley-bred college athlete exemplifies how Tribe NIL merges sports and Jewish identity
October 27, 2025
Originally Published in Jewish AZ HERE
When 19-year-old Wesleyan University basketball guard Aviva Schnitzer learned about Tribe NIL, the nation’s first Jewish-focused NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) collective, she knew immediately it was something she wanted to be part of.
“It was a great fit,” said Schnitzer, a sophomore guard for the Wesleyan Cardinals who grew up in the Valley and is a member of Congregation Beth Tefillah in Scottsdale. “It’s a way to connect Jewish athletes so we can support each other and connect on more than just athletics. A lot of athletes lose some of their Jewish identity on campus because our teammates generally aren’t Jewish. Tribe NIL pushes our Jewish identity to the forefront.”
Tribe NIL was founded by Jeremy Moses and Eitan Levine, two media professionals who saw an opportunity to unite and empower Jewish student-athletes through brand-building, financial support and community engagement rooted in Jewish values.
“We realized that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Jewish athletes, and the Jewish community doesn’t know about them,” said Moses. “Most athletes don’t get paid at all, and a lot of Jewish athletes are in smaller programs. We wanted to create a space that connects them to the Jewish community and helps them grow as leaders and professionals.”
After the Supreme Court’s 2021 decision allowing college athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness, NIL deals exploded — mostly for Division I football and basketball stars. Smaller programs, including Division III schools like Wesleyan, saw little of that benefit.
Tribe NIL aims to change that. Its model mirrors traditional NIL “collectives” that link athletes to brand deals and fan engagement, but with a distinctly Jewish twist.
“Every school has a collective that connects athletes with boosters and brand opportunities,” explained Levine. “That’s the model we want for the Jewish community. We want to find all the Jewish athletes in the country and get the community to support them.”
Tribe NIL now has about 180 Jewish athletes, with 50 receiving monthly stipends to serve as representatives, attend events and post on social media. The organization connects athletes with businesses and encourages them to build meaningful brands that reflect their values.
“We tell the kids that their brand is more than just getting a quick deal to post on Instagram,” Levine said. “It’s about who they want to be five years from now and how they’ll fit into the Jewish community.”
For Schnitzer, basketball has long been a defining part of her life. She played four years for Chaparral High School and competed on several Arizona club teams. “I played with people all over the place,” she said.
After her sophomore year, she attended a Jewish basketball camp in New York, where she was advised to join college showcases. Her first experience was eye-opening.
“At my first showcase, there were 60 coaches from schools I hadn’t heard of,” Schnitzer laughed. Still, that event kickstarted her recruiting process. She wanted a college that valued academics and, after years in the desert, was intrigued by the idea of the East Coast.
By the summer before her senior year, she was playing at a camp in Boston, traveling to various showcases and looking at potential colleges. When she visited Wesleyan University in Connecticut, everything clicked.
“It checked all the boxes for me,” she said. “There was a good balance between sports and academics, and there was good competition. I committed.”
Because Wesleyan is a Division III school, it can’t offer athletic scholarships. For Schnitzer, that reality helped clarify what mattered most.
“People are playing because they want to,” she said. “There’s no financial incentive; if you’re playing, it’s because you love it. It’s a great team culture and community.”
Schnitzer’s Jewish identity remains central to her college experience. She is active in Wesleyan’s Chabad House and Students Supporting Israel, and she helped get Jewish Heritage Month recognized on campus last spring.
Her involvement with Tribe NIL builds on that foundation. The connection came through her boyfriend, who also plays basketball for Wesleyan and is Jewish. When Tribe NIL co-founders Moses and Levine reached out to him about collaborating, they asked for other Jewish athletes who might be interested and Schnitzer’s name came up.
Beyond basketball, Schnitzer is pursuing a double major in neuroscience and education with a minor in Jewish studies, and she hopes to become an occupational therapist specializing in pediatrics.
Even with a packed schedule, Schnitzer has found time to launch a business. She co-founded HerWay Recruiting, a mentorship program helping young female athletes navigate the often-confusing college recruiting process.
“It shouldn’t be as hard a process as it is,” she said. “The goal is to empower high school and middle school students to take hold of the process, have confidence and find the right school for them.”
HerWay offers one-on-one mentoring, workshops for clubs and teams and individualized recruiting plans. The program emphasizes having current college athletes serve as mentors to younger girls, a model Schnitzer hopes to sustain long after she graduates.
“I’m super passionate about it,” she said. “We want the mentors to be current college athletes.”
Schnitzer’s future is full of promise. She’s currently working on a brand partnership with an Israeli company and will play for Team USA in the 2026 Maccabi Games.
For now, she’s focused on balancing her academics, athletics and growing roles as a mentor and Jewish leader.
“Tribe NIL helps remind me, and other Jewish players, that being Jewish isn’t separate from being an athlete,” Schnitzer said. “It’s part of who we are, on and off the court.”
