But as she began pursuing a professional career in classical music, she encountered a challenge that had nothing to do with her musical ability: some of the industry’s most important performances take place on Friday nights.

Nesya, who grew up in an observant Jewish family in Baltimore, began playing violin at age three after watching her older sister learn the instrument. Her parents recognized her passion early on, homeschooling her and eventually relocating the family to Salt Lake City so she could study with a renowned teacher. At 14, she moved to Los Angeles to continue her training at Colburn.

For Nesya, music has always been a source of joy rather than an obligation. Her passion also reflects a deeper Jewish idea about the role of creativity in the world. Rav Kook taught that God left creation unfinished, inviting human beings to become partners in its completion. Seen through this lens, artistic expression is more than a personal pursuit; it’s an opportunity to use one’s God-given talents to contribute something meaningful to the world.

Yet despite her dedication and talent, Nesya says she was repeatedly encouraged to perform on Shabbos and warned that refusing could jeopardize her career. “I was pressured so much to perform on Shabbos, and I was told that my career would suffer if I didn’t,” she said. “But I completely refused to see Shabbos as a limitation. I was told to choose between my dreams and my values and I knew that there has to be another way.” 

Rather than abandon her religious commitments, Nesya began exploring a different approach to performing.  She developed In Sync, a concert format combining classical violin performances with storytelling and reflections on the lessons she’s learned through music. The project allows her to pursue her passion while creating performance opportunities outside the traditional concert circuit.

For Nesya, the challenges of navigating the classical music world have become an opportunity to think creatively about her future. Rather than choosing between her passion for violin and her commitment to Jewish observance, already at the beginning of her career she’s finding a way to pursue both on her own terms.

See Nesya Perform Live! Nesya will be bringing her violin talents to the stage at Jew in the City’s 3rd Jewish Media Awards on November 5 at Lincoln Center in New York City. Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating authentic Jewish representation in Hollywood. Get your tickets here!

The post She Was Told to Perform on Shabbos, So This Orthodox Jewish Virtuoso Violinist Created Her Own Stage appeared first on Jew in the City.

JITC is thrilled to announce the celebrity presenters for its 3rd Jewish Media Awards, taking place Thursday, November 5, at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City.

The evening will recognize actors, producers, filmmakers, and television productions that are helping bring meaningful, nuanced Jewish stories to the screen, alongside individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary support for the Jewish community.

From Emmy-winning television icons to Broadway legends and outspoken advocates for the Jewish people, this year’s presenters bring an impressive range of talent and experience to the stage.

Judd Hirsch

Two-time Tony winner, two-time Emmy winner and two-time Academy Award nominee Judd Hirsch has enjoyed a remarkable career spanning more than five decades. Best known for his beloved television roles in Taxi and Dear John, Hirsch has also appeared in major films including Independence Day, A Beautiful Mind, and Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, for which he earned an Academy Award nomination. His extensive work across film, television, and Broadway has made him one of the industry’s most respected performers.

Debra Messing

Emmy Award-winning actress Debra Messing became a household name as Grace Adler on the groundbreaking NBC sitcom Will & Grace. Her career also includes starring roles in The Starter Wife, Smash, and The Mysteries of Laura, along with appearances on Broadway. In recent years, Messing has emerged as a prominent voice against antisemitism and a passionate advocate for Israel and the Jewish community.

Tovah Feldshuh

A six-time Emmy and Tony Award nominee, Tovah Feldshuh is a celebrated actress whose career spans Broadway, television, and film. Her acclaimed stage performances include Golda’s Balcony, in which she portrayed Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, and Yentl. Television audiences know her from The Walking Dead, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and, more recently, Netflix’s Nobody Wants This, in which she plays Bina Roklov. Feldshuh has long been a prominent voice in Jewish arts and storytelling.

Patricia Heaton

Two-time Emmy Award winner Patricia Heaton is best known for her iconic roles as Debra Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond and Frankie Heck on The Middle. With a television career spanning decades, she has become one of America’s most recognizable sitcom stars. Beyond her acting work, Heaton has been a vocal supporter of Israel and the Jewish community, speaking out against antisemitism and encouraging solidarity across religious communities.

Selma Blair

Actress Selma Blair rose to prominence with memorable performances in Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde, and The Sweetest Thing. Her career includes roles across film and television, as well as the acclaimed documentary Introducing, Selma Blair, which chronicles her experience living with multiple sclerosis. Blair has also spoken publicly about her Jewish identity and her support for the Jewish community.

Barbie Pascual

Barbie Pascual gained national attention as a cast member of Bravo’s hit reality series Below Deck, where she appeared as a stewardess aboard the luxury yacht St. David. Beyond her television career, Pascual has openly shared her personal journey toward Orthodox Jewish observance, offering audiences a glimpse into her evolving relationship with Judaism and Jewish tradition.

Together, these presenters will help honor an extraordinary lineup of individuals and productions at the 3rd Jewish Media Awards.

This year’s honorees include advertising executive and television personality Donny Deutsch, recipient of the Lion of Israel Award; Emmy-winning FRIENDS producer Kevin Bright and Rabbi Levi Cunin, recipients of the Chaverim Award; and acclaimed productions including The Pitt, Tehran, Dancing With the Stars, Doc, Nuremberg, and more, recognized for their contributions to authentic Jewish representation on screen.

Join us on November 5 at Lincoln Center for an unforgettable evening celebrating Jewish talent, storytelling, and representation in Hollywood.

Get your tickets to the 3rd Jewish Media Awards here!

The post Hollywood Stars Set to Present at JITC’s 3rd Jewish Media Awards appeared first on Jew in the City.

Now, Shabtai is taking that vision even further, welcoming internationally acclaimed, Michelin-starred Israeli chef Assaf Granit to Mutra for Granit’s U.S. dinner debut. The collaboration is part of a new international dinner series inviting acclaimed chefs to explore their culinary traditions through the creative framework of a kosher menu.

Ahead of the event, Shabtai sat down exclusively with Jew in the City to discuss his relationship with Judaism, the memories and traditions behind his cooking, and how he’s introducing kosher cuisine to new audiences without compromising its identity.

Talya Goldman: What role did Judaism play in your upbringing in Jerusalem? Was keeping kosher part of your life, and how has your relationship with Jewish tradition evolved as you’ve built your career as a chef?

Chef Raz Shabtai: I was born to a Jewish family in Jerusalem, and my grandma kept the Jewish tradition, so all the food that I ate growing up as a kid was kosher. I kept kosher for the majority of my life until I started to travel the world and wanted to explore and understand different types of cuisines and different flavors as a chef. My relationship with Judaism evolved and, at some point, I actually kind of lost myself along the way and felt that I was missing something – I missed my identity. I understood that I had to go back to my roots, to my memories, and to cook food in the same way I grew up with. It only felt right and natural to open Mutra as a kosher restaurant. 

TG: For observant Jews, keeping kosher isn’t simply a dietary preference, but part of a larger religious way of life. Has working within those requirements influenced how you think about the relationship between food, faith, and creativity?

CRS: I believe food nourishes the soul as much as the body, and the principles behind keeping kosher remind us to be thoughtful about what we consume and how we treat others, including animals. The rules of kashrut challenge me to think differently, but I see that as an opportunity to create something beautiful, not a limitation.

TG: Jewish life has such a strong connection to food, from Shabbat and holiday meals to traditions passed down through generations. Are there particular Jewish memories, values, or traditions that influence how you cook or the experience you want to create for your guests?

CRS: My grandmother’s house in Jerusalem is the foundation of everything I do at Mutra. Every Friday before Shabbat, the doors were open, the music was playing, and neighbors would come in with their pots of food. People from different cultures and religions were always welcome. My grandmother didn’t have much, but she made her guests feel like they had everything. That’s what I remember most, and that’s what I’m trying to recreate at Mutra. I want our guests to feel like they’ve come into our home, where they’re welcomed with generosity, love, and a beautiful meal.

TG: Mutra recently made history as the first and only kosher restaurant to earn a Michelin star. What did that recognition mean to you personally, and what do you think it means for the future of kosher dining? Did you ever feel that operating a kosher kitchen would make achieving this kind of recognition more difficult?

CRS: When they announced our name, I was holding a picture of my grandmother. That moment was about so much more than a Michelin Star. I thought about her, my family, my team, and everyone who helped make Mutra possible. We earned that recognition by being true to ourselves, not by trying to cook for Michelin inspectors or becoming something that we’re not. I hope our Star inspires other chefs to see that kosher cooking can be just as ambitious, creative, and deserving of recognition as any other cuisine.

TG: There’s a perception that kosher food involves compromise, particularly when it comes to fine dining. What’s one dish or experience at Mutra that you think most effectively challenges that assumption? Can you walk us through how it came together?

CRS: One of the most personal dishes on our menu is Chicken Liver Dreaming to Be Foie Gras. My grandmother used to cook chicken liver because it was an inexpensive ingredient, but she knew how to make it taste incredible. I wanted to honor that memory by transforming something so humble into something extraordinary. Because of kosher preparation requirements, achieving the texture and richness I wanted was incredibly challenging. We kept working on it, giving that ingredient the attention and care it deserved, until we finally got it right. To me, that dish represents everything I believe about cooking. Something doesn’t have to be expensive or luxurious to be special. With enough love and creativity, you can make something extraordinary.

TG: Many observant Jews grow up accepting that certain experiences, including high-end dining, may not be accessible to them. What does it mean to you to offer a Michelin-starred experience where diners don’t have to choose between their religious commitments and world-class cuisine?

CRS: It means a lot to us. I don’t believe anyone should have to compromise their traditions to experience an extraordinary meal. I want guests who keep kosher to feel proud of the experience, and I want guests who don’t keep kosher to be equally excited to dine with us. Great food should bring people together.

TG: Jew in the City focuses on challenging stereotypes and changing how Jewish life is represented. Do you think food can accomplish something similar? Have you had an experience where a guest’s perception of kosher food—or Jewish or Israeli culture more broadly—changed after dining at Mutra?

CRS: When people think about kosher food, their first association might be deli food, pastrami, kreplach or cholent. But the cuisine has simply gotten bad PR. There hasn’t always been a good understanding that Israeli cuisine is a soulful collection of cultures at one table. In Israel, you can have a grandma from Syria, a grandma from Egypt, a grandma from Poland, a grandma from Ukraine, and a grandma from Algeria – each and every one of them brought their own traditions with them when they came to Israel and they started to cook for their families and neighbors. What I’m trying to do is to show my guests and the world the cuisine beyond the stereotype. Israeli cuisine and kosher food can be extremely versatile and carries so much history, culture, spices, warmth, love and hospitality.

TG: You’ve built a restaurant that can bring observant and non-observant diners to the same table. Do you see food as a way of bridging differences within the Jewish community? Have you witnessed any meaningful examples of that?

CRS: The beautiful thing about Mutra is that you can see Orthodox guests sitting alongside non-religious guests with tattoos, let alone so many guests that are not Jewish at all, not Israeli, not religious, coming to sit at Mutra. Food is a beautiful way to start a conversation, to build memories and to develop friendship. So, yes, you can definitely see different types of cultures, different types of people, different types of religions, all get along and sit together to share good food and good conversation at Mutra.

TG: You’re collaborating with internationally acclaimed chef Assaf Granit, who has also earned Michelin recognition. What drew the two of you together, and what do you hope this collaboration demonstrates about the possibilities of kosher fine dining?

CRS: Assaf is one of the chefs who helped bring Israeli cuisine to the world stage, so welcoming him to Mutra for his first U.S. dinner event is a tremendous honor. We both come from Jerusalem, but we’ve followed different paths as chefs, and I think that’s what makes this collaboration so exciting. We’re bringing our memories, experiences, and different approaches to cooking together to create something neither of us would make alone. That’s also the vision behind the whole international collaboration series — inviting chefs from different culinary worlds to explore what’s possible through the creative framework of a kosher menu.

TG: Both you and Assaf have roots in Jerusalem, a city with an extraordinarily rich and diverse food culture. How does that shared background influence the dishes you’re creating together? What do you hope diners experience or understand about Jerusalem through the meal?

CRS: Jerusalem is one of the most fascinating food cities in the world because every neighborhood has its own identity, flavors, and traditions. Growing up, my grandmother had neighbors from Yemen, Turkey, Persia, and so many other places. I was exposed to all these different cuisines without even leaving our neighborhood. That’s what Jerusalem cuisine means to me. With Assaf, we’re going to be telling the story of Jerusalem, neighborhood by neighborhood, plate by plate. I want guests to experience the spices, memories, and cultures that shaped us, but also to understand that Jerusalem’s food is about more than ingredients. It’s about people, connection, and belonging.

TG: Looking ahead, what would real progress for kosher fine dining look like to you? Beyond Michelin recognition, is it attracting diners who don’t keep kosher, changing how other chefs view kosher kitchens, creating more opportunities for observant Jewish diners, or something else entirely?

CRS: I think real progress is seeing more chefs and restaurateurs approach kosher dining with the same ambition, creativity, and personal vision they would bring to any other restaurant. I’d also love to see more guests, whether they keep kosher or not, become curious about what we’re creating. I hope Mutra can help open that door for more chefs and more diners.

The post What Happens When Kosher Cuisine Earns a Michelin Star? appeared first on Jew in the City.

John was born in Brooklyn, right next to Borough Park and raised Christian. His mother was a piano teacher who became very popular with the local religious Jewish children. Pizzi jokes that he was raised “almost Jewish,” except that he went to a Catholic school. He was recruited into the family piano teaching business when his mother couldn’t keep up with the growing demand of students. Pizzi noticed from the start that the observant Jewish families he interacted with were always kind and polite and would make the extra effort to lend a helping hand.

He appreciated that just up the road was a community that was a little different than his all Italian-Irish neighborhood. He was (and is) impressed by how strong the religious Jewish communities are, how they stick together, and the humanity they have for one another. Pizzi saw that many in his neighborhood looked down on the frum community. He noticed the negative, judgmental comments they made, as they didn’t understanding the foreign customs of the religious Jewish community. Pizzi would always speak up for and defend the Orthodox Jews, though his peers never understood why.

In the last several years, Pizzi has gotten even closer to the Orthodox Jewish community as his work has brought him to a slew of sheva brachot and Pesach programs! He proudly explains that sheva brachot literally mean “seven blessings” and are a week of celebrations for a bride and groom after their wedding, though he points out that his secular Jewish chiropractor was unaware of the meaning! Many of his jokes can be filled with innuendos, but he makes sure to deliver ones that fit the venue. While there’s a perception that Hasidic Jews are super serious people who walk around looking down at the pavement. Pizzi gets to watch them laugh and enjoy themselves in a family setting. He sees the men dancing and hugging; so unlike the the stereotype, which Pizzi says he continues to correct whenever he hears comments like, “Oh, those people.”

After a lifetime of championing the community for their kindness and publicizing how they always go the extra mile to help someone in need, a few months ago, John got to experience that chesed up close. While driving to a series of gigs in Monticello, Pizzi’s car got a flat. After wrangling on the spare tire in the rain for a half hour, Pizzi arrived to his first gig forty minutes late. While he felt horrible and apologized profusely, the Hasidic patrons there were very understanding and helped him unload his equipment for the show. After it was over, they helped him transfer his things back to his car so that he could be on his way to the next venue – also a show for Orthodox Jews. Once he finally wrapped up his work for the night – at three o’clock in the morning, Pizzi realized that he needed to drive one hundred and forty miles home on a donut tire – not a safe proposition! He was feeling helpless and hopeless, then out of the blue, two Orthodox men, clad in yarmulkes and beards appeared. Explaining that they are part of Chaveirim – an organization founded to help people who are stuck on the road or locked out of a house. They patched the hole in his tire and re-inflated it, refusing payment as they explained that this is simply their job. Pizzi was incredulous at being the recipient of such kindness.

The next day, en route to a gig in Lakewood, Pizzi saw another Chaveirim truck and pulled over to tell his story to the men in it who simply respond, “Yeah – that’s what we do.” Pizzi says he is still overwhelmed by the kindness, and is still looking for a way to repay them. He posted pictures of the story on Facebook after the incident occurred and the pictures and the post went viral. For a community that is often misunderstood and has long a history of being hated, Pizzi publicizing the depth of kindness that exists is the best “payment” the Orthodox world could ever hope for!

The post The Catholic Italian Ventriloquist Who Loves Hasidic Jews appeared first on Jew in the City.