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The Jewish Long Goodbye
Confirmed
In Short: Ziva David, known for her tough and complex character, was one of the few Jewish characters on TV who embodied strength and complexity.
Executive producer Gary Glasberg confirmed to USA Today that Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) is not dead, but her departure from the show after eight seasons marks a significant change.
In the final episode, Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) travels to Tel Aviv in search of Ziva, engaging in insider banter with Israeli operatives and visiting iconic Israeli locations.
The episode ends with Tony wistfully holding Ziva's Star of David pendant, leaving room for speculation about her future on the show.
Fans of Ziva David have expressed their sadness over her departure, noting the rarity of such a strong Jewish female character on television.
In a separate development, Steve Stein's Famous Deli and Restaurant in Northeast Philadelphia has closed its doors, marking the end of an era for the local Jewish community.
The closure of Famous Deli highlights the broader trend of Jewish businesses and communities moving out of urban centers.
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that the closing of Famous Deli marks the end of Jewish delis in Northeast Philadelphia, a once-thriving area for Jewish life.
Fans and customers alike are left to wonder about the future of both Ziva David and the Jewish deli culture in Philadelphia.
What's confirmed
- Executive producer Gary Glasberg confirmed to USA Today that Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) is not dead, but her departure from the show after eight seasons marks a significant change.
- In the final episode, Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) travels to Tel Aviv in search of Ziva, engaging in insider banter with Israeli operatives and visiting iconic Israeli locations.
- The episode ends with Tony wistfully holding Ziva's Star of David pendant, leaving room for speculation about her future on the show.
- Fans of Ziva David have expressed their sadness over her departure, noting the rarity of such a strong Jewish female character on television.
- In a separate development, Steve Stein's Famous Deli and Restaurant in Northeast Philadelphia has closed its doors, marking the end of an era for the local Jewish community.
- The closure of Famous Deli highlights the broader trend of Jewish businesses and communities moving out of urban centers.
- The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that the closing of Famous Deli marks the end of Jewish delis in Northeast Philadelphia, a once-thriving area for Jewish life.
- Fans and customers alike are left to wonder about the future of both Ziva David and the Jewish deli culture in Philadelphia.
What's still developing
- Of all of the Jewish characters on TV these days, not many can be described as tough.
- In the spirit of full disclosure, Ziva’s farewell was our first-ever “NCIS” viewing experience, which seems sort of crazy considering it was the most-watched series last season — and that it features a bad-ass Mossad agent.
- That’s right, his search for a missing Ziva leads Tony to Tel Aviv, where he engages in jokey insider banter with Israeli operatives (“Have you made the big move from Shin Bet to Mossad or are you just here to say hi?”), hunts for clues in two supremely Israeli locales (a kibbutz and a café), and eventually finds what he’s looking for.
- Okay, so maybe that’s not the most promising statement we’ve ever heard, but Tony does wistfully dangle Ziva’s Star of David pendant in the last scene, so who knows — maybe we will someday get another chance to watch a tough, complicated Jewish woman on TV.
- We are republishing it on Sept. 16, 2026 in celebration of “Practical Magic 2” being out in theaters.
- As a nice Jewish girl from Northern California, I was fortunate to have a community that offered me the space to explore and connect with my identity.
- And still, growing up Jewish meant that I was often on the outside looking in.
- A Humble Request for the New Year: You can help keep Hey Alma's radically inclusive Jewish community free and open to all.
- But if being Jewish wasn’t enough to make me feel like an outsider, I was also the kid on the block with three parents, all of whom are gay.
- Back then, there were few places I could turn to see me, my family and our life reflected back as “normal.” In truth, the media landscape of the 1990’s was in many ways a diversity desert.
- From Michigan to Missouri, where tensions between the Democratic Party’s moderate and far-left factions are playing out in high-profile contests for the House and Senate, AIPAC is hitting its anti-Israel opponents for their past criticism of former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris in an effort to portray the candidates as hostile to mainstream policy goals, Jewish Insider ’s Matthew Kassel reports.
- To be sure, several customers told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that they’ll miss Stein, but they also bemoaned the fact there aren’t many Jewish food options left.