Leaders of Faith and Family with Lizzy and Dr. Ira Savetsky

Comedian and media visionary Dovi Neuberger joins his cousin Sender Gross, media architect and founder of Washington Jewish Journal, for a candid conversation with Lizzy Savetsky and Dr. Ira Savetsky.

From the publisher · Part one of a two-hour conversation

A conversation worth bringing home

When my cousin Dovi and I sit down with people, I want to give the conversation room to go somewhere. A little humor. A question worth staying with. The kind of answer that gets everyone talking around their own table.

Dovi brings a comic’s timing and a media personality’s instinct for what will connect. He’s become an in-demand voice in Orthodox Jewish comedy, performing for sold-out audiences and building a growing following online. At WJJ, I’m interested in bringing some of that energy to the Shabbos table, where a story has time to turn into a real conversation.

That’s what drew us into this exchange with Lizzy Savetsky, the Jewish advocate and digital creator, and her husband, Dr. Ira Savetsky, the New York City board-certified plastic surgeon. Their public lives give us plenty to talk about. Their beginning gives us somewhere personal to start.

This is part one of our two-hour conversation. We open with a photograph, an aspiring singer, a future doctor, and a coffee invitation that went unanswered. Then we get into the harder questions. What happens when two people come from different religious and cultural worlds? How do they work through what each expects from a marriage? What does it take to build a life together?

Lizzy and Ira bring humor and candor to those questions. Dovi keeps the conversation moving. And I get to do what I love about WJJ—bring you into it.

How Lizzy and Ira Savetsky met

Dovie Neuberger: Lizzy and Ira Savetsky, thank you so much for joining us on the Washington Jewish Journal Podcast. It’s truly an honor to have you both here! For those who may not already know, Lizzy, you’re a powerhouse influencer, activist, and advocate for the Jewish community. Ira, you’re a highly respected plastic surgeon who has gone above and beyond—not only excelling in your day-to-day work but also dedicating your skills to the Jewish people. Most recently, after the tragic events of October 7, you provided free surgeries to IDF soldiers, wounded Israelis, and dozens of victims of antisemitic attacks. The impact of that work speaks volumes about your values and commitment. Together, you’ve built an inspiring life that merges creativity, tradition, and a deep sense of purpose. I’m so excited to dive into your story.

Let’s start at the very beginning: Can you take us back to how you first met and what that moment was like for each of you?

Lizzy Savetsky: (Smiling) The first thing I ever said to Ira was, “Can you take a picture of me and my friends?” And now, 15 years later—

Dr. Ira Savetsky: I’m still taking pictures. I was the OG Insta husband. I’ve been doing this since circa 2005.

First impressions, from photographs to Facebook

Dovie Neuberger: That’s incredible. Let’s rewind a bit—what were your first impressions of each other?

Ira: Honestly, she was like a foreign person to me. I was like, “Who is this?” She had headshots of herself on her fridge, you know, like something you’d expect Donald Trump to have on his desk. But she was so interesting—definitely not the typical “five talents” girl I was used to hanging out with. And then she had this digital camera and was constantly taking pictures. Facebook was the thing back then, and she would post these huge albums from every night out.

Lizzy: (Laughing) I was definitely ahead of the Instagram curve!

DoviLizzy

Different backgrounds, shared commitment

Dovie: Ira, would you say meeting Lizzy made you confront things you’d been doing on autopilot?

Ira: Absolutely. It made me question a lot about myself—my values, my approach to relationships. There were two cultural separations: one was religious, and the other was geographical. Southerner versus New Yorker. It really came to a head when we were planning our wedding.

Dovie: What made that so challenging?

Lizzy: (Laughing) Don’t even bring it up—I have PTSD from that time.

Ira: It was the hardest time in our relationship. My family is traditional Orthodox from New York, and her family is Southern and not observant. Managing those differences was tough.

Dovie: How did you get through it?

Lizzy: Open-mindedness and a lot of communication. At the end of the day, we focused on what really mattered: building a meaningful life together.

“At the end of the day, we focused on what really mattered: building a meaningful life together.”

Lizzy Savetsky

Dovie: Lizzy, when you first met Ira, were you thinking about marriage?

Lizzy: Not at all. I was 19, and I had tunnel vision on my singing career. I wanted to be a famous singer and was performing everywhere. When Ira called and left me a voicemail asking me out for coffee, I didn’t call back. I found out he was studying for his MCATs, lived at home with his parents on Long Island, and was Orthodox. I just wasn’t in that mindset. But I always had a positive impression of him.

Dovie: And yet, here you are. What clicked?

Lizzy: That’s for Part 2. (Smiling) You’ll have to wait to hear the rest.

The print installment closed with this note: Stay tuned for Part 2 of this interview, where Lizzy and Ira share more about their relationship, their journey, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Behind the Washington Jewish Journal conversation

The interview first appeared in Washington Jewish Journal as Leaders of Faith and Family, with the print byline Dovie Neuberger.

Explore the official websites of Dovi Neuburger, Lizzy Savetsky, and Dr. Ira Savetsky.

Read the original magazine page

Leaders of Faith and Family. A WJJ Conversation with Dr. Ira and Lizzy Savetsky. By Dovie Neuberger.