‘I speak with fire’: How the ‘Lioness of Miami’ is redefining Jewish leadership in a world on fire

“The Holocaust Museum isn’t just a place for remembrance. It’s a warning shot. And that warning is screaming at us now.”

By Linda Sadacka

When Jewish blood runs in the streets and our enemies parade openly in American cities, most leaders whisper. Tila Falic Levi roars.

A Miami Beach native, mother of six, and descendant of Holocaust survivors and Zionist pioneers, she doesn’t just carry the weight of Jewish history — she wields it.

Pro-Israel activist Tila Falic Levi (r) and her mother and daughter meet with President Donald Trump. (Courtesy)

Her name rings out across Jewish philanthropic circles. The Falic family is synonymous with global Jewish enterprise and support for Israel.

But Tila makes one thing clear: “I come from a big family with many perspectives,” she says. “But when I speak, I speak as me — and I speak with fire.”

That fire was ignited in 2011, when terrorists butchered the Fogel family in Itamar — including a three-month-old baby. The world yawned. The Jewish world? Even worse: it calculated. “Because they lived beyond the Green Line, their deaths were treated like a political liability,” Tila recalls. “That moment shattered me — and then it made me.”

She turned that heartbreak into action, organizing a memorial shloshim for the Fogels that brought over 1,000 people together. “It wasn’t just mourning,” she says. “It was mobilization.”

And she hasn’t stopped since.

As Founding Board President of JCHS, a cutting-edge high school, and co-founder of South Florida Zionists — which rallied over 8,000 participants from 22 schools to celebrate Israel at Marlins Park — Tila has shown what real leadership looks like: unapologetic, strategic, and grassroots-driven.

Her recent appointment to the board of the Holocaust Museum comes as history repeats itself in real time. “Antisemitism isn’t rising — it’s raging,” she says. “From elite campuses to global stages, it’s open season on Jews again.”

Tila Falic Levi (l) and author Linda Sadacka – two proud Zionist women standing strong for the Jewish nation in an age of rising antisemitism. (Courtesy)

But don’t expect platitudes. Tila sees the museum as a war room, not a relic. “The Holocaust Museum isn’t just a place for remembrance. It’s a warning shot. And that warning is screaming at us now,” she says.

“October 7 was a defining moment. The museum’s public response was rare — but it was righteous. We can’t just teach history anymore. We have to connect it to the battlefield we’re standing on today.”

She’s clear: her goal isn’t to change the museum’s role — it’s to give it muscle. “I want to bring modern clarity to ancient hatred. And I want to make sure our kids never see remembrance as weakness.”

She also views her new platform as a strategic advantage: “This role will allow me to meet leaders from across the Jewish world, unify voices, and elevate truth where it’s being drowned out.”

And she doesn’t hide her admiration for today’s real-deal leadership. “I’ve always supported those who stand with Israel. I’ve met President Trump at public events, and I’ve known people in his administration for years,” she says.

“Two dear friends, Siggy Flicker and Sid Rosenberg, recommended me — and his team made the decision based on my activism. That matters. That’s how leadership should work.”

She adds: “We live in an era of giants. Between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump, we have once-in-a-generation clarity. I stand proudly with both.”

Firebrand activist Tila Falic Levi and her husband with Prime Minister Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu. (Courtesy)

But while her pretty blue eyes are on the global stage, she’s deeply troubled by the erosion within our own camp. “When Jews march under banners like ‘Jewish Voice for Peace,’ they’re not misinformed — they’re mis-educated.”
“This is what happens when we outsource Jewish identity to TikTok and tenure-hungry professors,” she says. “Jewish advocacy starts at home — and we’ve dropped the ball.”

Tila doesn’t care about influence. She cares about legacy. “I want my children to know I didn’t flinch,” she says. “I didn’t toe the line. I drew the line.”

In a world drunk on likes and muted by fear, Tila Falic Levi isn’t branding. She’s building.

As executive producer of the geopolitical podcast Standpoint and a staunch supporter of WIZO, FIDF, Ateret Kohanim, and United Hatzalah, she’s not waiting for someone else to take the lead. She’s already there.

She speaks like a mother who understands the stakes — and is done playing defense. “We live in miraculous times,” she says. “We have America, which protects our speech. And we have Israel, which protects our survival. Silence is not an option. Not now. Not ever.”

To Jewish women — and really, to all Jews — she delivers a call not for inspiration, but for ignition:

“Be bold. Be proud. Be loud. Esther didn’t whisper. Golda didn’t hide. And neither will I.”

This is not the time to be neutral. This is the time to pick a side, raise your voice — and leave a mark so loud that history can’t ignore it.

AntisemitismOct. 7th massacrePro-Israel activismPro-Israel advocacyTila Falic Levi