Liz Rose is that reassuring Jewish mother who combines the comfort of tradition with insights into what it means to be an informed and proud Jew. While she’s been an influencer for years, when October 7 happened – as well as disturbing antisemitism abroad and right at home – she doubled down on her identity.
“I am more proudly and visibly Jewish,” she said. “My response to all of this is to lean into my Judaism. I’m becoming more of an active leader in my community, finding Jewish joy and making sure my Judaism is not defined by antisemitism. It’s defined by my love of being Jewish.”
View this post on Instagram
Being a Jew online
Liz lives in Atlanta with her husband and kids, and started her popular Instagram, jewishlyliz, during the pandemic. She saw a rise in antisemitism back then and didn’t know what she could do about it – so she started creating content.
“I thought, maybe if I create an Instagram page and share my Jewish life, I can show people who have never met a Jew that we are normal, and we don’t have horns,” she said, laughing. “Maybe, I thought, I could connect Jews to their Judaism in a way that’s meaningful to them.”
Every Friday, Liz makes a mouthwatering challah and posts the process to her page. She shares her thoughts on the week, often while wearing Jewish jewelry or shirts with Hebrew on them. Her content is a mix of soul-strengthening videos for the Jewish people, along with the news that’s come up and how the community can combat Jew hatred and anti-Zionism.
View this post on Instagram
“People really resonate with my unwavering support for Israel’s right to exist,” said Liz, who has more than 64,000 followers. “I validate people. I’m not always super polite, but people resonate with those feelings.”
While Liz has faced backlash – like all Jewish influencers – she also receives messages that uplift her.
“I get a lot of messages from people saying, ‘You gave me the strength to speak up in situations where I wouldn’t have said anything before,’” she said. “I also get messages from people who say, ‘I never knew about this tradition, and I love doing it now’ or ‘I’m going to send my child to a Jewish camp because you’ve shown me the benefits of doing it.’”
While Liz currently lives in a Jewish community, she understands that others don’t.
“Some Jews don’t have that strong community because they live in the middle of nowhere, or maybe they married someone who isn’t Jewish,” she said. “I get a lot of joy out of seeing how people can connect with their Judaism.”
Going to Nova – and dealing with antisemitism at home
Liz visited Israel this past Purim, which was a time of mixed emotions for the country.
“You could see how resilient Israel people are,” she said. “It was also so heavy. Some people were going through the motions of the holiday for their kids. There was a heaviness in everyone’s heart.”
While she was there, she went to the Nova site and Kfar Aza, where more than 60 people were murdered on Oct. 7.
“I needed to go because I wanted to see it with my own eyes,” she said. “Nobody could tell me that it didn’t happen, because I saw it.”
Liz had already seen antisemitism up close in Atlanta. Ali's Cookies, a bakery with Jewish owners that displayed an Israeli flag following October 7, received a postcard with Anne Frank on it that said, “Is there a child rape, torture and murder tunnel under your store? We have the Zyklon B…Use discount code ‘GAS THE JEWS’ to save 10% on your order.”
“A lot of their business dropped off, too,” Liz said. “The Jewish community has supported them."
There were also pamphlets distributed throughout the Atlanta Jewish community that said antisemitic things on them, and a protestor outside the local Israeli consulate lit herself on fire. The guard at the building who tried to save her suffered from severe burns.
“He’s just returned to work now, six months later,” Liz said. “He asked to be reassigned to a different building.”
Still, Liz has hope. She moderated a local event where Jews were encouraged to bring a friend who wasn’t Jewish to try and teach them about what was going on. It was a hit and sold out completely.
What gives Liz the strength to keep going, even in the face of hate, is the love from the Jewish community. With it, she feels empowered to put out important content while encouraging others to do their part as well.
“I find comfort in my community,” she said. “I love that we are a family. We won’t let each other fail. We are stronger together.”
Liz Rose’s Challah Recipe
https://www.instagram.com/p/C9nQD_KRr2P/
- Mix 7 tsp of yeast with 1 cup sugar
- Add 2.5 cups warm water- (make sure the yeast bubbles, and if it doesn’t you need new yeast)
- Let proof 10 minutes - aka let it sit in the bowl for 10 minutes
- Add 3/4 cup oil, 7 cup all-purpose flour, and 1 Tablespoon of salt
- Knead until it forms a ball and isn’t sticky anymore
- Let rise at-least 1 hr. (I let mine rise all morning)
- Braid dough; this recipe makes 2 large loaves
- Let rise 1 more hr.
- Bake at 350*F until golden, 25-35 minutes depending on your oven
- Slather with a mixture of half honey (agave if you’re vegan) and half almond milk to glaze after baking.
“Serve right away or freeze for later! I serve mine warm out of the oven for Shabbat. My kids look forward to it all week!”
Keep up the great work Liz