Fighting for Israel in a different uniform

The New York Congressional candidate talks to Family First about her childhood in Ethiopia, making aliyah, serving in the IDF, raising seven children while in the political limelight, and what she’ll fight for if she’s elected

Mazi Melesa Pilip is adored in my community of Great Neck, New York. Most of my neighbors have a sign with the word Mazi in bright red letters prominently displayed on their front lawns, alongside their “I Stand With Israel” sign, and pictures of the hostages in Gaza. When Mazi ran for the Nassau County Legislature in 2023, my shul WhatsApp group blew up with messages of support. Guys please text everyone you know locally and beg them to vote for Mazi Pilip, read one message. Another said, Vote like your lives depend on it. They just might!

This December, Mazi was declared the Republican nominee for the United States House of Representatives New York 3rd congressional district. It’s a special election that was set off when George Santos was expelled from Congress for ethics violations. Mazi is running against Tom Suozzi, a seasoned politician who previously ran for New York governor against incumbent Kathy Hochul in the Democratic primaries. Overnight, Mazi went from being a beloved member of the local community (she jokes that her constituents practically do Bircat Kohanim when they see her) to a national figure. Her every campaign step is covered by Fox News, the New York Times, and the New York Post.

Mazi happens to live a few blocks down from me in Great Neck. I’ve seen her at shul, the kosher grocery store, and community events, but I had never spoken to her before. When I heard she was running for Congress, I reached out to her team to invite her to my home for an interview. Mazi doesn’t accept many interview requests — as she later admitted to me, the mainstream media is always trying to trip her up, and put everything she says in the worst possible light — but since I’m a neighbor, she agreed to a rare, sit-down interview.

On a Friday afternoon, I welcomed Mazi into my home. She walked in wearing a white jacket with an American flag pin, as well as a star of David necklace. She was holding a bag from the local kosher bakery, which she handed to me with a smile. “It’s from Noir Bakery. I picked it up this morning. I just love their challah.”

She had spent the week in Washington, D.C. fundraising, meeting with members of Congress and attending a homeland security hearing, but she was back home in time for Shabbos. We both sat down at my kitchen table, where I had arranged some fruit and cookies, and we started chatting about her fascinating life story.