Famous Israeli Women

Debuting at the age of thirteen, Israeli American actress Natalie Portman is today one of the most successful actresses in Hollywood. Her movie list is impressive with successful projects like Black Swan, Jackie, Star Wars, Closer and Thor. While pursuing her passion for acting, the Academy award winning actress also ensured to complete her studies and graduated from Harvard University.

Mary Magdalene was an important biblical figure. It is said that she witnessed many of Jesus' miracles and life events, including his crucifixion and the subsequent resurrection. Since it is claimed that Magdalene was a prostitute, she has been viewed as the patroness of wayward women in the modern era. Her life has inspired several important works of art.

Inbar Lavi is an Israeli actress best known for her performance in the American comedy-drama TV series Underemployed. Lavi is also credited with playing important roles on other American TV series like Gang Related, Prison Break, and Lucifer. Her popularity increased when she landed the lead role in the dark comedy television series Imposters where she played Maddie.

Born in present-day Ukraine and brought up in the United States, the phenomenal rise of Golda Meir to become the prime minister of Israel was driven by her sheer leadership qualities. She steered her country amid hostilities from its neighbourhood during her eventful term as premier which also saw the Yom Kippur War. She is remembered as a strong-willed woman.

Odeya Rush is an Israeli model and actress best known for playing lead roles in American films like The Giver, The Bachelors, and Let It Snow. In 2016, Rush was honored at the Young Artist Awards with the Best Performance in a Feature Film award. In 2017, she received the Awards Circuit Community Award for her performance in Lady Bird.

Yael Grobglas is an Israeli actress known for her performance in the popular American satirical telenovela Jane the Virgin. After appearing in a couple of Israeli films, Grobglas achieved international recognition when she played Shir in a horror film titled Rabies. She then established herself in the American TV and film industry by appearing in projects like Jane the Virgin.

Jezebel was the wife of the King of Israel, Ahab. Jezebel is credited with introducing the worship of Asherah and Baal on a national scale. She also purged the prophets of Yahweh, for which she is often associated with false prophets. An important cultural symbol, Jezebel is also associated with promiscuity and fallen women.

The wife of Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba was bathing on her roof when David saw her and had her brought to him. He then got Uriah killed and married Bathsheba. David and Bathsheba’s first child died as a punishment for his sins. She was also the mother of King Solomon.

Eurovision Contest-winning Israeli artist Netta Barzilai won hearts with her track Toy, a song that spoke of women empowerment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she experimented with a podcast and performances from the balcony of her Tel Aviv apartment. She also performed the track Cuckoo for an online Eurovision event.

Alona Tal is an Israeli actress known for playing supporting roles in popular American TV series like Veronica Mars and Supernatural. Tal is also known for her singing skills; she has recorded a song with popular Haitian rapper and musician Wyclef Jean. She has also appeared in several American films like Half Past Dead 2, Broken City, and Opening Night.

Keren Peles is an Israeli pianist, singer-songwriter, and poet. Over the course of her songwriting career, Peles has contributed immensely to the success of other popular singers like Shiri Maimon and Miri Mesika by writing the lyrics of some of their hit songs. She has also found success as a singer as many of her albums have been certified gold.  

Ayelet Zurer is an Israeli actress best known for playing the female lead in the American mystery thriller film Angels & Demons. A celebrated actress in Israel, Zurer has won many prestigious awards, such as the Israeli Film Academy Award and Israeli Television Academy Awards. In 2003, she was honored with the Best Actress award at the Jerusalem Film Festival.

Ofra Haza was an Israeli actress and singer who achieved great popularity in the Western world where she came to be known as the Madonna of the East. An influential cultural figure in Israel, Ofra Haza played a major role in popularizing the Mizrahi culture. During her illustrious singing career, Haza earned several gold and platinum discs.

The mother of Jesus Christ and the wife of Joseph, Mary, also known as the Virgin Mary, finds mention in both the New Testament and the Quran. Though most Catholic scholars believe in traditional Marian dogmas, Protestants have often argued, questioning ideas such as the Assumption of Mary.

Bar Paly is an actress and model best known for her role in the crime drama TV series NCIS: Los Angeles. She was born in the Soviet Union and moved to Israel as a child. She later immigrated to USA, where she entered the entertainment industry. She started out as a model and then began acting as well.   

Deborah was an Israeli prophetess and a judge of Israel who made her judgments underneath a date palm tree between Bethel in the Tribe of Ephraim and Ramah in Benjamin. According to the Bible, Deborah was the only female judge in pre-monarchic Israel.

Mili Avital is an Israeli actress, writer, and director who has been active in the entertainment industry for three decades. She studied acting at the Circle in the Square Theatre School and soon made her film debut. She began her career in Israel and now appears in international projects as well. She is the recipient of one Israeli Academy Award. 

Haya Harareet was an Israeli screenwriter and actress best remembered for her portrayal of Esther in the 1959 religious epic film Ben-Hur. Among her works as a screenwriter is the 1967 British drama film Our Mother's House, which was directed by Jack Clayton. She was an international star; she appeared in Israeli, Italian, British, and American films.

From Miss Israel to Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot has made heads turn and take notice of her. Serving two years in Israeli Army as a combat trainer surely helped Gadot in her movie career, where she is known for playing strong, action-oriented roles. She was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2018.

Esti Ginzburg is an Israeli model, television host, and actress. One of the most popular faces in Israel, Ginzburg has taken part in international campaigns, modeling for fashion brands like Tommy Hilfiger and FCUK. Ginzburg was also featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue for three consecutive years starting from 2009. Also a philanthropist, Ginzburg works with the Hayim Association.

Daliah Lavi was an Israeli actress, model, and singer. Throughout her career, Lavi played important roles in several European and American productions. As she was fluent in many languages, she acted in English, Italian, Spanish, German, and French-language films. Thanks to her impressive physique, she was also popular for playing a femme fatale in many films.

Noa Tishby is an Israeli actress, producer, writer, and activist. She achieved popularity after appearing in the 2005 science fiction film, The Island, which starred Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. As a producer, Tishby is credited with co-producing the Peabody Award-winning series In Treatment. A popular activist, Tishby was named among the 50 Most Influential Jews by the Jerusalem Post.

Anna Zak is an Israeli Internet personality, singer, and model. With more than a million followers on Instagram and four million followers on TikTok, Anna is considered one of the most influential social media stars in Israel. In 2017, she was named the most influential Instagrammer in Israel, ahead of personalities like Bar Refaeli.

Ninet Tayeb is an Israeli musician, composer, singer-songwriter, DJ, actress, and model. Regarded as one of the most famous people in the entertainment industry in Israel, Tayeb is also renowned for her International collaborations; in 2015, she was named among the hottest new artists to enter the American entertainment industry. She has won a couple of MTV Europe Music Awards.

Rula Jebreal is a Palestinian journalist, foreign policy analyst, novelist, and screenwriter. Her first novel Miral was adapted into a film of the same name. Directed by Julian Schnabel, Miral had Freida Pinto playing the title role.

Sara Netanyahu is an Israeli educational and career psychologist. She is married to former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She is the daughter of a Polish-born Israeli Jewish educator. She has worked as a psychotechnical evaluator and an educational psychologist. She has received much negative media attention for the mistreatment of her staff. 

Ronit Elkabetz was an Israeli actress, film director, and screenwriter. A critically acclaimed actress and director, Elkabetz received several prestigious awards during her lifetime. She received three Ophir Awards as well as the Cannes Film Festival's France Culture Award. In 2010, she received a lifetime achievement award for her contribution to Israeli cinema from the Israeli Film Academy.

Ada Yonath is an Israeli crystallographer. She is best known for her work on the structure of the ribosome, for which she received the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Venkatraman Ramakrishnan and Thomas A. Steitz. The first Israeli woman to win the Nobel Prize, she occupies the Martin S. and Helen Kimmel Professorial Chair at the Weizmann Institute.  

Esther Ofarim is an Israeli singer. She began performing folk songs as a child. As a young woman, she married Abi Ofarim, a guitarist and dancer. The couple performed together as the folk duo Esther & Abi Ofarim in the 1960s. After they divorced, she focused on building a solo career. She is the recipient of an Edison Award. 

Shafi Goldwasser is a computer scientist who serves as the chief scientist of Duality Technologies which she co-founded in 2016. In 1997, she started serving as RSA Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), becoming the institute's first holder of the professorship. In 2012, she was honored with the Turing Award for her work in the field of cryptography.

Israeli actor-singer Meital Dohan is best known as Yael from the series Weeds. One of her first roles was that of Juliet in a stage production of Romeo and Juliet. She had bagged a contract with Cameri Theater even before graduating. She has also released hit singles such as Yummy.

Linor Abargil is an Israeli lawyer, model, actress, and beauty queen. In 1998, Abargil won the Miss World pageant. She won the contest shortly after being raped and has since become a global advocate against sexual violence. Linor Abargil is also credited with launching a fashion label named LYA, which aims at serving the needs of religious women.

Michaela Bercu is an Israeli actress and model. In 1988, Bercu became the first Israeli woman to appear on the cover page of American Vogue. She then went on to be featured on several other publications like Swedish Elle, Australian Vogue, L'Officiel, and Cosmopolitan. Michaela Bercu has also appeared in advertising campaigns for brands like L'Oreal, Bloomingdales, and Revlon.