With nearly 200,000 followers on Instagram, Jewish social media influencer and activist Lizzy Savetsky (@lizzysavetsky) has worked hard to maximize her captive audience to teach others about Jewish identity, Zionism and Jewish family life. After moving to Dallas in 2019 from New York, Savetsky has recently announced she will be returning to the Big Apple and settling with her three children and husband on the Upper East Side—as she describes it, a neighborhood with “the best of everything,” including the Jewish community.
The Instagram celebrity has been frequenting New York in the last several months, speaking at panels and events, as well as promoting her Jewish matchmaking spinoff, @bashertbylizzy, with live social media tapings. Savetsky explained that she loves being in New York, since she is “really able to see the impact” she’s made on her followers, or as she fondly calls them, her “Instafam.”
“The bulk of my audience is in New York, so being there is very meaningful,” she shared. “Moving back will be great for my brand, since there’s nowhere like New York for the direction I’ve taken in Jewish activism.”
But growing her impact is not the only reason Savetsky is making the move to New York. “Our family was made for city life … we love action, the hustle, and we want to be in the middle of everything,” she said. “New York is the best place for Jewish community outside of Israel, in terms of schools, restaurants and synagogues. You have everything you could possibly want.” She continued that they chose the Upper East Side for the same reasons—plus, it’s familiar territory, as Savetsky lived there for 10 years prior to their Dallas move.
“The Upper East Side is a great place to raise a family,” Savetsky said. “And, it’s got great convenience and accessibility.” Specifically, she explained that her husband, Dr. Ira Savetsky, is a practicing plastic surgeon with a robust clientele in the area, which adds to the convenience of living in the neighborhood.
Even with all of the benefits of moving back to New York, the influencer shared her gratitude for the time spent in Dallas over the past three years. “In Dallas, I was able to slow things down,” she explained. “In New York, there’s so much going on that there isn’t a lot of time to reflect … so I really got this time to reflect and figure out my direction.”
Savetsky continued that part of moving forward was her journey to sobriety, which she was candid about during her interview with The Jewish Link. “My sobriety has been such a gift, all thanks to Dallas. I’m in a much better place.” Similarly, she credited the birth of her third child, Ollie, to her Dallas lifestyle. “My stress level in New York was very high, and I suffered three pregnancy losses before we moved. Now I’ve taken the time to cultivate tools and make mental health my priority.”
The busy trendsetter hopes that her new mindset will carry over once she returns to the East Coast. “In my business, I have to be very good about setting boundaries, which doesn’t come naturally to me,” Savetsky shared. “I need to be mindful in order to protect my peace.” In that sense, she explained, living in New York is both a blessing and a challenge—the plethora of event opportunities will keep her occupied, but hopefully not at the expense of her well-being.
With an arrival date set sometime before September, Savetsky is still figuring out the details of her move and how her family will settle in. That is, except for her choice of school for her daughters, Stella, 9, and Juliet, 7, which she said will be SAR. “I know that my kids will get a good education in New York, no matter where they go. But I was really touched by the sense of Jewish pride at SAR … that’s the most important thing to me. It’s something that can’t be taught from a textbook.”
One other item Savetsky has planned upon her arrival in New York is a live event for @bashertbylizzy, her Jewish matchmaking channel, which will take place at the Moises Safra Center on the Upper East Side in September. “It’s going to be the first big thing that we do!” But don’t be fooled—Savetsky has more big things to come.
