Brace yourselves, Islanders — a Jewish bombshell is about to shake up Casa Amor.
Elan Bibas is strutting into “Love Island” on Monday night, and he’s bringing curls, charm, and just the right amount of mystery. Will he stir the pot, steal some hearts, or just deliver iconic one-liners in Hebrew? One thing’s for sure: Casa Amor just got a whole lot hotter.
Sunday night’s elimination of Jeremiah White and Hannah Fields was brutal for the islanders and viewers alike. (This author believes that the choices were strategic and against the spirit of the villa.) Monday night brings us to the best part of the season: Casa Amor!
Casa Amor is the ultimate relationship twist on “Love Island” — a secret villa where half the couples are sent mid-season to meet a fresh batch of bombshells (hello, Elan), while their partners stay behind, unaware of what’s going down. Over several days, new connections are tested, sparks fly (or fizzle), and at the end, each Islander must choose whether to stick with their original partner or recouple, with plenty of heartbreak, drama, and jaw-dropping betrayals guaranteed.
So before he graces our screen at 9 p.m. ET, here’s everything we know about Elan Bibas, the latest Jewish addition to “Love Island,” and his connection to Israel.
The basics
Elan was born in Canada to his father Shlomo Bibas, who descends from Caracas, Venezuela, and his Canadian mom Heather Bibas.
He grew up in Richmond Hill, Ontario, with his younger sister Dahlia and younger brother Tal, who now manages Elan’s social media presence.
The Jewish influencer showed off his NJB status, earning Dean’s List every semester while a computer engineering student at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. While a university student, Elan showed off his skills on Queen’s varsity mountain biking team.
Before turning heads on “Love Island,” Elan was making moves in the tech world. He co-founded Cycle AI, a startup that used artificial intelligence to help companies understand their users better, and it was successful enough to get acquired in 2024. These days, he works as a consultant at Slalom, where he helps build data and AI tools for public-sector projects.
Elan and his siblings joined Temple Har Zion, a Reform synagogue in Toronto, as members in fall 2023. However, just under a year later, he left Canada for Miami, Florida. In his 2024 recap, Elan revealed that he “made a promise to myself that last year was my last winter.”
Sharing his love of fitness and travel
Elan started stepping into the influencer world around late 2024. Since then, he’s been actively sharing wellness, fitness, and lifestyle content on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, posting routine tips on curls, self-investment, and his ultra-marathon running hobby.
Elan now has over 14,000 TikTok followers and more than 3,600 Instagram followers, where he’s branded himself as a wellness and ultra-running (meaning he runs long distances, often over a marathon’s length) advocate using motivational content to inspire others.
He’s not just about fitness — Elan’s also a globe-trotter. Over the past few years, he’s shared snapshots from epic road trips across Canada, and visits to the Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Greece, Vietnam, and the Bahamas.
Elan Bibas’s connection to Israel
Both his first and last names have roots in Israel. In Biblical Hebrew, Elan means “oak tree” and is a common name for Jewish boys. Bibas is a common last name in Israel, particularly for families of Sephardic heritage.
In 2014, Elan and his family traveled to Israel to celebrate his bar mitzvah. He became a bar mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
Elan and two friends traveled to the Jewish state in 2022 and toured the country. He posted about climbing Masada, partying in Tel Aviv, visiting the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum, eating at the Shuk, and praying in the Old City of Jerusalem.
He also follows the pro-Israel organization Stand With Us on Instagram.
Anti-Israel pushback to his “Love Island” casting
And with the announcement that Bibas will be joining Casa Amor, anti-Israel fans began a campaign to get him kicked off the show. They urged fans to contact the production company and demand his removal.
Those calling for a “Love Island” boycott also falsely spread a rumor that Bibas is a former Israeli Defense Forces soldier. However, Bibas went directly to college after graduating from high school, and there is no indication that he has been to Israel more than the two times he posted about.
Jewish history of “Love Island”
Elan joins an exclusive group of Jewish contestants on “Love Island.” While the “Bachelor” franchise has had multiple Jewish contestants over the past few years, Elan is only the third openly Jewish contestant on “Love Island USA.”
In Season 3, Josh Goldstein and Gabe Sadowsky became the first Jewish islanders. While Gabe was dumped on the show, Josh left the villa with his then-girlfriend Shannon St. Clair after his sister Lindsey unexpectedly died. The couple broke up months later.
Eyal Booker from “Love Island UK” was the first openly Jewish contestant. The Israeli Brit, who went to Jewish day school growing up, was dumped halfway through the season.
In 2024, the first season of “Love Island Israel” was released, boasting a collection of Jewish and Israeli islanders looking for love.
Originally Published Jun 23, 2025 04:03PM EDT
