(New York Jewish Week) – Two Jewish housewives will join the cast of “The Real Housewives of New York” for its 14th season.
Among the new cast members is Jewish internet influencer and social media activist Lizzy Savetsky, 37. Originally from Texas, Savetsky — 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 Dr. Ira Savetsky. News of her casting was unofficially announced over the summer.
Also joining the cast is Erin Lichy (neé Yitzhari), a 35-year-old Tribeca mom and real estate agent with Douglas Elliman. Lichy, who grew up in Manhattan, is “one of five children in a close-knit Israeli family,” according to her bio on the Bravo website. Lichy also owns her own home design and renovation firm, Homegirl.
Lichy’s husband Abraham, who runs his own law firm, DJs and founded a fashion brand, graduated from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 2010.
The announcement about the reality juggernaut’s all-new cast was made during Sunday night’s 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. Javits Center featuring panels and performances from the cable network’s favorite celebrities.
For the first 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 reflected New York City.”
The cast will be rounded out by Sai De Silva, Ubah Hassan, Jenna Lyons, Jessel Taank and Brynn Whitfield.
“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 Magazine. She left the show more than a decade ago.
Though many celebrated the announcement in Jewish Facebook groups like Great Kosher Restaurant Foodies and on Savetsky’s Instagram page, there has also been social media backlash to the inclusion of Savetsky in the cast, with many decrying her identity as a “proud Zionist,” according to her Instagram bio.
Cohen, who is Jewish, tweeted Tuesday: “The amount of antisemitism coming from all corners is f–ing alarming,” though he did not refer to any remarks specifically.
Savetsky was not at BravoCon on Sunday because, as she explained in an Instagram story, she was observing a Jewish holiday — Hoshana Rabbah, the seventh and final day of Sukkot.
Cohen called the group of women “the most diverse cast yet” during the taping of his show.
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“We were looking for a group of friends who were actually connected and who are vibrant, living 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 filming sometime this fall. A release date has yet to be announced, though Bravo confirmed the season will premiere sometime in 2023.
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