A new bombshell entered the villa… and he’s a member of the tribe?
On Monday night, the ladies of the villa got the best gift a “Love Island USA” fan can ask for: Casa Amor.
Casa Amor is the ultimate relationship twist on “Love Island.” The couples are separated mid-season to meet a fresh batch of bombshells, while their partners stay behind, completely unaware of what’s happening. Over several days, new connections are tested, sparks fly (or fizzle), and at the end, each Islander must decide whether to stick with their original partner or recouple.
Among the new arrivals was 29-year-old Gal Tshnieder, a surfer and content creator from Los Angeles.
It didn’t take long for viewers to start searching for more information about the newest Islander. While some fans were curious about his age, job, and dating history, others zeroed in on something else: his last name.
Tuchshnieder (Gal’s full last name) isn’t a particularly common surname, and it immediately sparked speculation online about Gal’s background. So naturally, we had to ask: Is Gal Tshnieder Jewish?
Who is Gal Tshnieder?
Gal Tshnieder (full name Gal Tuchshnieder) is a surfer and entrepreneur originally from Houston, Texas, who joined “Love Island USA” during Casa Amor.
His social media offers a glimpse into a laid-back California lifestyle, filled with surfing, travel, beach days, and time spent outdoors.
Outside the villa, Tshnieder is the co-founder of Saba Surf, a Venice, California-based surf lifestyle brand he launched with Laura Quintana. What began as a small surf wax company has since expanded into apparel, coffee, and a community-focused surf shop and café in West Los Angeles.
Tshnieder and Quintana started the company after becoming frustrated with existing surf wax products and deciding to create their own. The pair began selling hand-poured wax online and through local surf shops before growing the business into a broader lifestyle brand.
Tshnieder explained that “saba” is the Hebrew word for “grandfather.” He said the business was inspired by advice from his grandfather, who encouraged him to take the first step toward pursuing his goals, telling him, “If you want to do something, you just have to do it. Just take the first step.”
Today, Saba Surf operates a storefront and coffee shop on Venice Boulevard, selling surfboards, apparel, coffee, and surf gear while hosting events for the local surfing community.
Is Gal Tshnieder Jewish?
Based on information shared on his social media accounts, Gal Tshnieder grew up deeply rooted in the Jewish community and has strong family ties to Israel.
Tshnieder’s father was born in Jerusalem, raised in Israel, and is Orthodox. His mother immigrated from England to the United States and converted to Conservative Judaism after meeting his father.
He and his five siblings attended the Emery/Weiner School, a pluralistic Jewish day school in Houston. Tshnieder has both Ashkenazi and Sephardi heritage. His paternal grandfather, a Polish Jew for whom Saba Surf is named, later moved to Israel, while his grandmother is Moroccan. According to Tshnieder, his grandfather served in the Israel Defense Forces, including during the Six-Day War.
Growing up in a household shaped by both traditions, Tshnieder’s family regularly ate foods such as jachnun, ptitim, and chamin (cholent). Shabbat was celebrated every week, and after he and his siblings grew up and moved away, the family made it a tradition to reunite for Rosh Hashanah, Passover, and Hanukkah.
His first name, Gal, is a common Hebrew name that means “wave,” a fitting name for a lifelong surfer.
While Tshnieder has not publicly spoken at length about his Jewish identity, his family history and his own social media posts leave little doubt that the Love Island USA bombshell has both Jewish and Israeli roots.
What happened to Gal on “Love Island USA”
Tshnieder’s “Love Island USA” journey almost ended as quickly as it began.
During Monday night’s Casa Amor episode, 12 new men entered the villa, but host Ariana Madix revealed that only six would be allowed to stay.
After a pool party, speed-dating-style chats, and a round of chemistry tests, the women had to decide which bombshells they wanted to keep getting to know. Gal made the cut, along with Corey Sawyer Jr., Trae Taylor, Ronnie Gunter, Dylan Wrona, and Carl Schmidt, while the other six men were dumped from the island.
While he has had the opportunity to get to know the women, Tshnieder has not officially coupled up with anyone yet, and his fate will likely be decided during the Casa Amor recoupling later this week.
Jewish history of “Love Island”
Tshnieder joins an exclusive group of Jewish contestants on “Love Island.” While the “Bachelor” franchise has had multiple Jewish contestants over the past few years, he is only the fourth Jewish contestant on “Love Island.”
Elan Bibas was part of a small but memorable group of Jewish Islanders who entered the Love Island universe. The Canadian tech entrepreneur and influencer joined “Love Island USA” as a Casa Amor bombshell in 2025.
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, 2026 01:21AM EDT
