Lizzy Savetsky’s husband, Dr. Ira Savetsky, is offering free plastic surgery to victims of Hamas’ terror attack on Israel.
“It’s really an honor for me to do something nice to someone who is suffering or standing up for others,” the New York City-based plastic surgeon told the Daily Mail Friday.
Ira vowed to cover services for anyone impacted by the war, including a rhinoplasty that can cost $20,000 or more.
The Savetskys were in Jerusalem with their three young children when the conflict broke out on Oct. 7, killing approximately 1,400 Israeli civilians including women, children and the elderly.
Additionally, more than 200 people, including babies, have been taken as hostages by Hamas and still remain in Gaza as the war rages on.
Lizzy — who was cast for Season 14 of “The Real Housewives of New York City” last year, only to exit the show over antisemitic fan comments and her husband’s alleged use of the N-word — spent Oct. 7 running in and out of bomb shelters with Ira before safely returning home to America.
It was at that time that Ira decided to offer free procedures, which he is also extending to those who have been affected by hate crimes amid the rise of antisemitism in the US.
“Next thing I knew people were sending me messages about a kid who was beat up on the Lower East Side for being Jewish,” he told the outlet.
Earlier this month, Ira posted a video to Instagram with a Jewish man named Rafi who had been attacked and shared with his followers that he would be taking care of the patient’s reconstructive surgery for free.
“I’m here with Rafi, who unfortunately was a victim of a recent antisemitic hate crime. I’m grateful I could offer my assistance following this terrible incident,” he captioned the post.
“If you know someone who has experienced a hate crime and requires plastic or reconstructive surgery, please contact my office. These services will be free of charge. Let’s stand together and stay safe and resilient, everyone. Am Yisroel Chai.”
Ira said he will also extend his services to 28-year-old New Yorker Natalie Sanandaji, who ran for her life while being shot at by terrorists at the Nova music festival and miraculously survived the massacre.
He was also approached by a Jewish college student who felt unsafe on campus and wanted to have a tattoo of the Hebrew word for life, “Chai,” removed.
“It’s sad that it comes to a place where people want to hide their Judaism. We want people to be proud of it, but if people are worried about their safety, it’s completely understandable,” the doctor said.
An Israeli woman has also turned to Ira after she felt unsafe to travel to Turkey for a scheduled rhinoplasty. He offered to perform the procedure free of charge.
Ira has compiled a team of medical experts, including dermatologists and anesthesiologists, who are all dedicated to helping those affected by hate crimes.
“With antisemitism skyrocketing in New York City and around the world — with increasingly violent protests — the chance of there being more facial trauma is increasing,” he said. “I wanted to extend my services to anyone with facial trauma. It would be my pleasure to see them free of charge.”
Lizzy and Ira are outspoken advocates for the State of Israel and even attended the March for Israel rally in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, which saw nearly 300,000 participants.
However, the pair have received hate online for expressing compassion toward Israel and denouncing Hamas’ terrorist attack.
“We both get tons of hate because of Lizzy’s activism. They come after my business, they write negative reviews, they send nasty messages on social media, they call my office, they harass my staff,” Ira told the Daily Mail.
Despite the mounting backlash, Ira, whose grandmother survived the Holocaust, feels it is important to keep speaking out.
“At the end of the day, this is not the time to be scared or hide who we are,” he said. “I think about someone like my grandmother who has survived Auschwitz; she didn’t survive Auschwitz so we could be quiet in this moment. I want to do anything I can right now to be vocal to be proud.”
