Weekly Kibbitz
Two Jewish women join all-new cast of
‘The Real Housewives of New York’
Javits Center featuring panels and performances
from the cable network’s favorite celebrities.

For the fi rst time in its history, “The Real
Housewives of New York” will be rebooted entirely.

As executive producer Cohen told Variety in March,
the network was seeking a more diverse cast “that
better refl ected New York City.”
The cast will be rounded out by Sai De Silva,
Ubah Hassan, Jenna Lyons, Jessel Taank and
Brynn Whitfi eld.

“I would love an opportunity to kind of pass the
baton virtually to them and say, ‘Wishing you the
best, and just keep it real,’” Jill Zarin, “RHONY”’s
best-known Jewish cast member, told People mag-
azine. She left the show more than a decade ago.

Though many celebrated the announcement,
there has been social media backlash to the inclu-
sion of Savetsky, with many decrying her identity
as a “proud Zionist,” according to her Instagram bio.

Cohen, who is Jewish, tweeted on Oct. 18: “The
amount of antisemitism coming from all corners is
alarming,” though he did not refer to any remarks
specifi cally.

Savetsky was not at BravoCon because, as she
Ira and Lizzy Savetsky attend a Thomas
Ashbourne Craft Spirits and Fleishigs magazine
event in New York City on Sept. 18.

explained in an Instagram story, she was observ-
ing the Jewish holiday of Hoshana Rabbah, the
seventh and fi nal day of Sukkot, which took place
from Oct. 15-16.

Cohen called the group of women “the most
diverse cast yet” during the taping of his show.

“We were looking for a group of friends who
were actually connected and who are vibrant, liv-
ing all over New York City, with interesting jobs and
interesting relationships, and we found them in this
group,” he told “Entertainment Tonight.”
The 14th season of “Real Housewives of New
York City” is expected to begin fi lming sometime
this fall. A release date has yet to be announced,
though Bravo confi rmed the season will premiere
sometime in 2023.

— Julia Gergely/New York Jewish Week
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Among the new cast members is Jewish Internet
infl uencer and social-media activist Lizzy Savetsky.

Originally from Texas, the 37-year-old, who uses her
platforms to celebrate Jewish traditions and declare
her support for Israel, recently moved to the Upper
East Side with her three kids and husband, plastic
surgeon Ira Savetsky. News of her casting was unof-
fi cially announced over the summer.

Also joining the cast is Erin Lichy (neé Yitzhari),
a 35-year-old Tribeca-area mom and real estate
agent with Douglas Elliman. Lichy, who grew up in
Manhattan, is “one of fi ve children in a close-knit
Israeli family,” according to her bio on the Bravo
website. She also owns home design and renova-
tion fi rm Homegirl.

Lichy’s husband, Abraham, who runs a law fi rm,
as well as DJs on the side and founded a fash-
ion brand, graduated from Benjamin N. Cardozo
School of Law in 2010.

The announcement about the reality juggernaut’s
all-new cast was made during the Oct. 16 live taping
of “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen,”
which also concluded the festivities of BravoCon,
a three-day convention and party at the Jacob K.