My passion is performance. My Israeli birth name is ‘Tahel’ which means ‘to bring light.’ My mom was on point when she gave me the very unique conjugation as a name, she knew that I would push myself and fight in order to shine.

Being born and raised in Haifa, Israel for the first seven years of my life has shaped my character immensely, and infused this self-motivation and tough exterior that has been a wonderful assistant to my life’s work. I always loved school and pushed myself to graduate at the top of my class, I learned English fast but continued to speak Hebrew (and later French) fluently, I read books and listened to my parents’ CDs, and so I believed myself to be a little woman early on. I refused to let my parents pick out my clothes, help me with my homework or my piano lessons, to babysit me, or to guide me step-by-step through my maturation. So today I stand a very passionate and driven young lady, hoping to learn from others and to collaborate in the hopes of making the most out of every experience and opportunity. With my individuality came a strong need to make relationships and network with others.

My passion for performance on the stage began in 3rd grade, once I mastered English well enough, with my very first community theater show, Jack and the Giant. I had always put on shows for my huge Israeli family, I was always the little loud and vibrant dirty-blonde headed youngster, but this pizzazz sprouted and grew over the years. I performed in many more plays and even an educational film about bullying, where I played the innocent nerd who was bullied in Middle School. I then picked up some wonderful musical theater roles in shows like Oliver, Once Upon a Mattress, Of Thee I Sing, My Fair Lady, and South Pacific, along with various vocal competition awards, speech and debate awards, and a variety of showcases and other original productions throughout my high school years. Apart from being active in anything dramatic, I loved to work. Being a huge nerd lent itself to my undertaking a Theater teacher role at a local Fitness and Wellness Center, where I started an original theater program for younger kids at the age of seventeen. It was an amazing outlet for my own performance skills, but it allowed me to organize a syllabus, coordinate and direct the rest of the staff, facilitate the entire classroom of 6-12 year olds, and help the kiddies put on a play at the end of the class.

Multitasking, overachieving, and dabbling. I went from acting, to performing via teaching, to shining out at Temple University as an Admissions Tour Guide and Newspaper Advertising Manager, from which I graduated early with a Communications and Theater degree in February 2008. I sang the National Anthem at the Basketball Games, and collaborated with other musicians for various other Philly based performances. I began serious film work my freshman year in college, where a Graduate Student asked me to play a small part in his film. Little did I know that five minute short would open my eyes to the amazing world of movie-making. I adore film, I enjoy every aspect of the tedious, painstaking, gazillion hour day process. I am a results person, so the process of arriving at a finished film that evokes emotion, inspires action, and elicits a response in the viewer. After residing in London for four months, also visiting France, Germany, Italy, all throughout Spain, Amsterdam, and Ireland, I became increasingly inspired to meet and learn from others, hopefully creating work that would inspire all people, regardless of race, culture, religion, or gender.

And here I am today. Performing, traveling, talking, learning, and living. A week after the end of college, I undertook a Public Relations Director position at a wonderful studio gym, where I expanded the already wonderful facility, making their brochures from scratch, reaching out to the public in order to expand the clientele and revenue of the joint, and I personal trained the younger clients. One of the trainers asked me, “So why do you work so hard?” to which I responded, “Um…I don’t know, I’ve just always worked hard.”

Maybe it’s my Israeliness. Maybe it’s my passion and drive to perform in any avenue of life. Or maybe it’s my fate. All I know is that I enjoy the work I do, and hope to expand my talents and experiences.