Erez Ben–Ari

Erez Ben–Ari (Hebrew: ארז בן-ארי‎, b. 1973 in Tivon, Israel) is a journalist, author, technologist, comedian, producer and Group-Cuddle event producer. He also wrote, produced and hosted TV and Radio programs and formed several non-profit organizations and operations.

Erez Ben–Ari
Born (1973-09-13) September 13, 1973
Tivon, Tivon, Israel.
MediumStand-up
NationalityAmerican, Israeli
Years active2010–present
GenresObservational comedy
Subject(s)Everyday life, Immigrant life, religion, family
Websiteerezbenari.com

Ben–Ari started his career as an independent writer in Israel, founding PCPhobia,[1] the very first self-help website in Hebrew. Shortly after, he joined the technology section of Maariv,[2] focusing initially on computer-related subjects, and later on writing in other sections as well. Later on, he wrote for numerous major Israeli newspapers and online portals including Yedioth, Walla!, Calcalist, BizPortal[3] and most recently Mako.[4] Ben-Ari gained national fame for his analysis of the Israeli information technology and Information-Security market which have been published widely in the printed and broadcast media,[5] as well as for his active role as the co-founder and spokesman for the Israeli chapter of Mensa.[6] One of the key factors in his success was experience gained working for some of the leading hi-tech companies in the world, like Intel, Microsoft and Nvidia.

After having moved to the United States in August 2008, Ben–Ari changed his name to Benari and wrote for JTNews, a now-defunct[7] newspaper dedicated to Seattle's Jewish community, TechFlash, a leading technology news source in Seattle and Jewish In Seattle Magazine.[8] He also published multiple books about UAG and other Microsoft Remote-access products and technologies.

Comedy career

From 2010 to 2015, Ben–Ari was an active stand-up comedian and producer. He has performed in multiple comedy venues in the Puget Sound area and produced comedy open-mic nights[9] and shows.[10]

Ben-Ari practices polyamory, and has been active in the community since joining the CSPC in 2016. Following a 20-year monogamous marriage to Paula Ben-Ari (n'ee Stohrer), Benari divorced in 2018 and embarked on a life of polyamory. As part of their divorce, Ms. Benari introduced text into their parenting plan which forbids Benari from divulging his practice of non-monogamy to their child. Subsequently, Ms. Benari sued Mr. Benari, claiming he committed contempt of court by violating the clause. The case was tried in King County Court over the period of September 2019 through May 2021 and concluded that no contempt was committed. Benari was fully acquitted and the case was considered a landmark victory for the polyamory community, and was widely reported in the media.[11]

Inspired by his court battles, Benari has become highly active in the community. He created Project-P, an internal employee group of Microsoft employees who practice polyamory, and was instrumental in having it recognized publicly by the company.[12] Benari has also donated large amounts of money to non-profits that support the polyamory community, such as the Chosen Family Law Center.[13]

Artwork

Benari is an accomplished artist, specializing in steampunk art, as well as creating miniatures. Starting in 2015, Benari's steampunk work focuses on creating decorative utilitarian Steampunk-style pieces, such as guitars [14]. In miniatures, Benari specializes in creating miniature dioramas, as well as miniature books, using a process he developed, which creates fully-readable tiny books, approximately 1x1.5" in size. Among the individuals who own Benari's books are comedians Whitney Cummings and Jim Gaffigan, as well as politicians Hillary Clinton and former president Barack Obama [15].

Cuddle Events

Starting in 2018, Benari gained public and media attention in the Pacific Northwest after he started organizing group-Cuddle focused events. Beginning in October 2018, Benari started organizing events under the name “Canoodling”, and later opened a club in Seattle dedicated to this activity.[16] The club “Spoonz” operated from September 2019 through March 2020, hosting up to 10 events per month and drawing up to 120 guests per event. With the government-mandated closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Spoonz was closed permanently on 11 March 2020.[17] In May 2021, Benari created a group-cuddling community named "Hugz & Cuddlez", which runs weekly cuddle events on a non-profit basis in numerous locations across the Pacific Northwest. [18][19]

Works

Books
  • Microsoft Forefront UAG 2010 Administrator's Handbook, Packt Publishing, 2011
  • Planning, Deploying and Managing Microsoft ForeFront Threat Management Gateway 2010, MVP-Press, 2010
  • Mastering Microsoft Forefront UAG 2010 customization, Packt Publishing, 2012
  • Deploying Microsoft Forefront UAG 2010(Video), Packt Publishing, 2012
  • Windows Server 2012 Unified Remote Access Planning and Deployment, Packt Publishing, 2012

Journalism
  • The Science of Technology (Technology column in TechFlash), 2010
  • How to (Weekly column in Mako), 2008-2009
  • Tip Bits (Weekly column in Calcalist), 2008
  • Market Analysis (Weekly analysis of the Israeli IT and Information Security market, published in various media outlets), 2007-2008
  • How to (Weekly column in Walla), 2007
  • Parole Officer (monthly column in Maariv), 2005-2006
  • Gadgets (Weekly column in Maariv), 2004-2005
  • How it works (Weekly column in Maariv), 2004-2006
  • Photomania (Weekly column in Maariv), 2004
  • How to buy (monthly column in Maariv), 2003-2004
  • PCPhobia (Personal Website), 1998

Radio and Television
  • Tips (Weekly column in Radio Haifa), 1999-2000
  • Edomim Hi Tech (Producer and guest-host in Kol-Edumim Radio station), 2000
  • How it works (Regular Guest in Radio Kol Chai weekly technological magazine), 2004-2006
  • Various guest appearances in Galei Zahal (Radio), Channels 1, 2, 10 and IETV (TV), 1999–2008

Comedy
  • Open Mic at Amante, 2013-2014
  • Guilty Giggle, 2014
  • HindustanD-Up, 2014
  • .COMedy Live, 2014

References
  1. Wishnizer, Eli. "Thanks and credits". Portal Hemophilia.
  2. "Economics, High-Tech and communications". Maariv NRG.
  3. "Erez Ben-ari". Bizportal.
  4. "Creators:Erez Ben-ari". Mako.
  5. "Erez Ben-ari". Maamarim.
  6. Hecht, Esther. "Israeli Life: Smart Circle". Hadassah Magazine.
  7. "Seattle's JTNews to close after more than 90 years". Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
  8. Benari, Erez. "Stuff It". Jewish In Seattle Magazine.
  9. "So, a guy walks into a bar with an open mic…". Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-07-06.
  10. Ball, Linda. "Guilty Giggle to showcase local comedians". The Issaquah Reporter.
  11. "Landmark Non-Monogamy Case Big Score for Polyamory Community". Chiang Rai Times. November 24, 2021.
  12. "Microsoft takes step to support polyamorous employees". Cyber Sectors. 23 November 2021.
  13. "Chosen Family Law Center To Receive Generous Donation From Seattle Engineer". Cupertino Times. 24 November 2021.
  14. NICKELSBURG, MONICA (11 March 2015). "Geek of the Week: Microsoft's Erez Benari moonlights as a steampunk and Star Wars sculptor". Geekwire.
  15. "The Big World of Miniature Books". CrazySpeedTech. 10 December 2021.
  16. "Our Cuddling Needs". Psychology In Seattle Podcast.
  17. "Spoonz is permanently closed". Spoonz.
  18. "Hugz & Cuddlez invites people to a group cuddling event - tonight in Olympia". JOLT. July 23, 2021.
  19. "Healthy Relationships Develop for Erez and his Open Heart". New York Metropolitan. September 7, 2021.
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