This week Shmoozing with Avi features Neal Hoffman, creator of Mensch on a Bench. Born and raised in Marblehead, Massachusetts, he stood out as a “model” student in his Hebrew school. With an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and MBA from University of Virginia, Neal landed his dream job making toys at Hasbro where he worked on GI Joe, Tonka, and Transformers.
In 2011, Neal and his wife Erin moved to Cincinnati with their son, Jacob Maccabee Hoffman, and welcomed their second son, Alexander Goldwin Hoffman. Drawing from his creative background in toys, Neal was inspired when Jake asked for an Elf on the Shelf and came up with the idea for The Mensch on a Bench. That night, Neal wrote the first draft of the book and read it as a nighttime story to Jake. Just 18 months later, the Mensch has benefited from a successful Kickstarter campaign, launched into the retail industry, and been widely accepted by the Jewish Community.