23 Dec REGGIE TORAH SHORTS DELIVERS KOSHER JEWISH COMEDY THAT FANS CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF

At just 23 years old, Mendel “Reggie” Richter, better known online as Reggie Torah Shorts, has already made waves in the world of Jewish comedy. Growing up in Queens, New York, where his parents serve on shlichus at their Chabad House, Reggie was immersed in a life of community, learning, and Jewish values from an early age. After yeshiva, he carried that spirit abroad, spending two years in Singapore helping the local Jewish community.

It was there that his journey into digital content began. What started as short, humorous videos to make weekly Dvar Torahs more engaging quickly evolved into full-fledged comedy content on Instagram. From playful character sketches to relatable Jewish humor, his videos struck a chord with viewers, and by last Chanukah, his content began to “blow up,” resonating with audiences worldwide.

Known for clever takes on everyday Jewish life, from the quirks of Jewish mothers to Shabbos dinners, Reggie has carved out a niche for good, clean, relatable comedy. Viral hits include playful nods to Pesach traditions, minivan stereotypes, and the contrasts between Israeli and Sephardi-Ashkenazi customs. With humor, creativity, and relatability, Reggie Torah Shorts continues to bring joy and laughter to thousands of followers while staying true to his roots and values.

What is your name, and can you tell Jewish Vues readers a little bit about yourself?
Surprisingly, it’s Mendel, not Reggie. Reggie is just a nickname. My real name is Mendel Richter.

I grew up in Queens, New York. My parents are on shlichus there, so yes, I grew up on shlichus. They run a Chabad House in Queens. After finishing yeshiva, I went on shlichus myself for two years in Singapore, working with the Jewish community there. The shliach suggested that we start sending out Dvar Torahs every Shabbos on the community group chats, for adults, teens, students, everyone.

I figured, why not make it a little more fun? So I started creating short, cute videos about the parsha. At first, it was just for the local community. But then I began having more ideas, some comedy, some silliness, and decided to open an Instagram account.

In the beginning, I was simply posting the weekly Dvar Torah with a bit of humor. Eventually… I just kept posting. I still share a Dvar Torah every week, but now I also post during the week, mostly Jewish comedy. And somehow, it started getting bigger and bigger, and then kind of… blowing up. And that’s where we’re at right now.

Where did the name Reggie come from?
The name Reggie is a long story, but basically, everyone in Chabad is named Mendel, so in school we usually went by our last names. Mine was Richter, but then people started
calling me Richie. Since I’m a gingy, at some point Reggie came along, and it just stuck. That’s what everyone called me, everyone knows me as Reggie.

When did your posts online start blowing up?
Honestly, for me it was around last Chanukah. I had been posting for almost a year before that. Then one video finally caught on and started going viral. I think people really connect to how relatable it is. When you’re watching a video and think, “Oh my gosh, that happens in my house,” it immediately clicks. It’s cool, it’s funny, and you’re like, “Wow, that literally happened to me today.”

I try to tap into Jewish nuances, especially with Jewish mothers. It’s kind of reassuring to realize that everyone goes through the same things and that we’re not crazy. We’re all living the same life, and everything is pretty normal. I like bringing that out. I try to make people happy. It’s a crazy world, and it’s good to laugh, I really enjoy doing it.

And I also enjoy attention. No, I’m joking.

How do you come up with most of the ideas for your reels?
There’s no real formula. I mean, you just live life.

How often are you posting these days?

About once or twice a day, sometimes even three times a day.

Could you share some of your stats? What are the most popular reels or videos you’ve made so far?
I have a video about Pesach where I’m jumping in the kitchen because your mother just cleaned for Pesach and mopped the floor. It’s basically me flying through the kitchen, and that got close to 12 million views.

I also did a video about how Jews all seem to have the same beat-up minivan, and that got a couple million views. Another popular theme is me imitating Israelis. I have a character named Baruch, a Jewish kid with his Jewish mom.

I did a video about “Shabbos cereal,” where you go to someone else’s house during the week and they’re eating their Shabbos cereal, and you’re like, “Oh my G-d, you can’t—it’s Shabbos cereal!” People really related to that. I do a lot of videos about Sephardi versus Ashkenazi traditions, like lighting the menorah or challah, and similar things. I also make a lot of Israeli content, Israeli versus American, in particular.

Do you enjoy wearing tichels? I’ve noticed you wear them in a lot of your videos.
I don’t particularly enjoy wearing tichels, but it’s always good to have more props. They’re helpful for creating characters, and my tichel often becomes a character itself. It’s not my wife’s, I actually got it before I got married. I enjoy creating characters because once you establish one, you can always return to it. People start connecting with the character and even become fans of it, even though it’s all me. It just makes the performance more engaging.

There was a reel you posted recently, were those pictures taken by the “I Love Jerusalem” sign?
Yes! That was while I was in Israel a couple of months ago. I was making a video about seminary girls and how they take pictures by the “I Love Jerusalem” sign. It was a lot of fun. I went with my sister, and we just imitated it.

I try not to make fun of people in my videos, I aim for humor, not ridicule. I avoid mocking a specific sect, type of Jew, or individual. Comedy is a very thin line between playful fun and humor at someone else’s expense, so I try to be very careful with that.

I also make sure not to make fun of Chas V’Shalom, Tzaddikim, or Parsha. When I do a Dvar Torah, that’s particularly important to me. Another goal is to create a space for good, clean Jewish comedy that people can enjoy without it being dirty. I always say, comedy usually works if it’s either edgy or relatable. I focus on relatability while keeping it kosher, so people can enjoy it without worrying about anything inappropriate popping up.

Where did you get your funniness from?
From my parents.

Do you do stand-up comedy?
I do not do stand-up comedy.

What do you do for parnassah? Is this your full-time thing right now, or do you have other projects you’re working on?

It is my full-time thing right now. I’m working, Im Yirtzeh Hashem, to move on shlichus with my wife, so it’s not a top priority. But currently, it does take up a big chunk of my day, and I do make money from it, Baruch Hashem, mainly through advertisements.

How do you make money from it?
Brands reach out when they want to advertise their restaurant or company. What I do is create a comedy commercial for them and post it on my account. That way, it gets all the views, and that’s the service they pay for.

What’s the secret to making a great reel? After you finish one, do you ever think, ‘This is going to go viral,’ or do you usually feel, ‘It’s good, but not amazing’? Or are you sometimes surprised by how well it’s received?

It can surprise you both ways. Sometimes I post a video and I know it’s going to go around. Other times, I really think a video is going to go viral, and it doesn’t. You learn from mistakes. A lot goes into how you edit a video, but a lot of it is also just the algorithm. If people see it and share it because they relate to it, then the algorithm picks it up and it spreads. Sometimes I post a video that I know is niche, something only a certain group of people will get, and it still surprises me how well it’s received.

How long does it typically take you to make a reel, including editing?

It depends on the idea. Sometimes it takes 10 minutes, sometimes two hours, and sometimes five hours. It really depends on how much filming and editing is involved.

Is five hours considered a long time?
Yes, it’s a very long time.

What’s your long-term dream with this?
To reach as many people as possible, have fun, make some money, and bring happiness.

What are you currently working on, if you don’t mind me asking?
A few ads for some brands and Chanukah content.

Is there anything in the near future that you’re working on that’s big that you would like to share with Jewish Vues readers?
Not really! I tend to work in the moment, if inspiration strikes, I dive in right away. I don’t usually plan long-term posts or schedule content for the month ahead; I like to let ideas unfold naturally.

FUN QUESTIONS WITH REGGIE TORAH SHORTS

Who is your favorite Jewish comedian? Modi.
Is there a Jewish comedian out there that you would actually pay to go listen to?

Probably not.
Favorite Jewish musician? I love Omer Adam.

Best compliment you’ve ever received about your work?
The best compliment is probably that I’m funny, but not at the expense of other people.

What is the best or worst complaint you’ve ever received about your work?
The worst complaint was probably about my Sephardi-Ashkenazi videos. A few people messaged me saying they found it racist and unacceptable. I don’t think it’s racist at all—I think it just highlights the different ways we celebrate things. Everyone has their own way. Just as a Sephardi might be offended, an Ashkenazi might also feel offended. I don’t think it’s something to be offended about; I think it’s something to celebrate. There are different ways of doing things, and I’m not trying to portray any group negatively.

What do you wish you knew how to do better?
I feel like I could do a lot more if I were more motivated.

I there a specific thing you’re talking about?

Not specifically. I feel like there’s a lot more in me that, I’m Yirtzeh Hashem, will eventually come out.

What’s the one skill that you’d love to master instantly?
That’s a tough question… understanding people.

If you could eat only one food for all of Shabbos, what would it be? Schnitzel.
What’s your Yetzer Hara nosh? Gushers.

Mann can taste like anything you want it to taste like. What would you want your mann to
taste like? Steak.

If you could invite any three people from history to join you for Shabbos Friday night dinner, who would you choose?
Donald Trump, Achashverosh, Albert Einstein.

If you could invite any three funny people, living or dead, to sit at your Friday night Shabbos table, who would you choose?
Jerry Seinfeld, my great-grandmother (she was hilarious), and Mr. Bean.