“You’re not four years old! You’re too small!”
The mean little girl narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing me in all her four-year-old wisdom. Then she shoved me down the slide, cackling madly, because I was in her way and taking too long.
“You’re too skinny. You need to eat,” the cruel girl looked me up and down with disgust. I was twelve. That exact phrase echoed through junior high, and then on into high school.
“You’re so pale. Don’t you like the beach?” asked an old, leather-faced man in the elevator, leering. I was thirty-five.
I was always the smallest, the skinniest, the palest. Perpetually the underdog, I found myself deeply connected to Eyal Levit’s new book, The King’s Race, which I was honored to preview—alongside the opportunity to interview him.
Dr. Levit is a board-certified dermatologist at Levit Dermatology in the Manhattan Beach area of Brooklyn, New York. He was born in Ukraine in 1971 during the Cold War, when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. He explained that as Jews, they were “equal” only in slogans and propaganda. In reality, their passports marked them as part of a “fifth column”—subject to quotas, barred from many jobs, and often deliberately failed in school regardless of academic excellence. Even becoming valedictorian was nearly impossible, as the unspoken rule was to suppress Jewish achievement. Since exams were oral, grading could always be skewed by subjective interpretation.
In January 1972, his parents immigrated to Israel. The process was humiliating. Most heirlooms passed down through generations had to be left behind. Emigrants were allowed only $100 in hard currency. After a long and degrading train journey through Vienna and a short stay there, the family finally arrived in Israel.
Integration wasn’t easy. There was a new language, new climate, and his parents—both professionals—had to retake their licensing exams in Hebrew. Eventually, they settled in Haifa. But by 1973, war had broken out, and both of Eyal’s parents were drafted to serve. He vividly remembers hiding in bomb shelters, sirens blaring as Egyptian planes flew overhead, bombing his city.
At the age of seven, his family was sent on a humanitarian mission to Nigeria—his father as a civil engineer to build roads and bridges, his mother as a doctor to serve malaria-stricken communities. Because Nigeria was part of AIPAC and couldn’t officially request help from Israel, the Israeli construction company adopted the American-sounding name RCC (Reynolds Construction Corporation).
At first, Eyal was enrolled in a school run by nuns. He was the only white child in the class and was called a derogatory name: “Umbakara” (banana-peeled skin). His mother pulled him out after witnessing, by chance, the daily fistfights he had been enduring—fights he had hidden from her to spare her worry. She homeschooled him until the company opened its own school.
By thirteen, Eyal’s family had returned to Israel. He enrolled in one of the country’s top private schools, but soon his parents had to leave again in search of work. Eyal stayed with his grandparents. After three years, he joined his parents in the United States, where they were still navigating life with green cards. Just three months after arriving, a martial arts instructor who believed in him took him under his wing. Eyal went on to win a silver medal in the Junior Olympics—missing gold only because he lost focus in shock at his own unexpected success.
Dr. Eyal Levit is now a successful dermatologist. He explained that it was his mother—also a physician—who encouraged him to consider dermatology. He took her advice seriously, and the more he learned, the more he realized she was right. The skin, he says, is the body’s largest organ and its first line of defense—like an envelope maintaining a constant, interactive pathway between our internal organs and the outside world.
Eyal believes that education should never stop. He teaches and learns daily, and to him, a day without learning something new is a day wasted. Currently, he is working to reverse biological aging—a key to preventing many cancers and chronic diseases. He holds two patents: one for diabetes therapy and another for air purification. He has presented at dermatological and cosmetic conferences both in the United States and around the world, and has authored numerous articles and book chapters in medical textbooks. He also co-edited a textbook on medical and cosmetic dermatologic surgery.
No matter what happens, he says, always remember to have a BALL: Believe, Achieve, Love, and Live.
Eyal recently wrote a children’s book titled The King’s Race, inspired by his education, his medical practice, his personal journey, and the stories shared with him by his patients. The King’s Race is a heartwarming and inspirational story about a noble animal who overcomes adversity and the circumstances of his birth to persevere and shine.
Eyal believes that life constantly tests us—and each time we fall short, we’re faced with a choice: give up, or rise up. Through his global experiences as an immigrant, he has seen firsthand how athletics can unite people and help them rise above petty prejudice. Children, with their open minds, are especially receptive—sports can help them build friendships that transcend race, religion, and nationality.
In the story of Spots the horse, Eyal highlights the importance of open-mindedness, kindness, respect, hard work, and the timeless wisdom of ancient books like the Bible. The book also confronts society’s shallow obsession with outward appearance—an obsession that does not define who we truly are, yet is often used to judge us unfairly.
As a doctor whose mission is to heal, Eyal feels compelled to write when he believes his words can help society. While much of today’s health conversation centers on gut health, mindfulness, and meditation, he believes we must not overlook books. Books are ancient pillars of human knowledge. They help us unlock our potential. Throughout the history of civilization, after the gift of speech, it was writing and reading that became our second most vital tool for survival—preserving the DNA of our shared human story.
The message Eyal hopes readers take from The King’s Race is that kindness pays off. True strength is an internal quality—something each of us can choose to cultivate. He encourages readers to choose their friends wisely, because our environment plays a powerful role in shaping both our character and our future.
When life feels difficult, when hope seems distant, and you’re left wondering why certain things are happening to you—pause, refocus, and take charge of what you can do. Learn from your circumstances, rise up, and change your situation. Eyal believes that heroes are not born—they are forged by the challenges they overcome. He thus advises us to embrace the challenges as an opportunity for growth. Each of us has the potential to be a hero. There’s no limit to how many heroes the world can hold.
He reminds us to celebrate one another’s strengths rather than diminish others to elevate ourselves. We must learn to recognize the beauty in everyone and everything—and to honor it, not extinguish it.
The King’s Race embodies all these values, told through a timeless story that reads like an ancient fable.
The King’s Race is being published by Brave Kids Books and is expected to be available in November 2025.
To learn more about Dr. Eyal Levit, visit www.levitdermatology.com.
