Beit Zvi School for the Performing Arts, and Theater () is a school of

acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a broad range of sk ...

and

theatre arts Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communic ...

, located in the

Tel Aviv District The Tel Aviv District (; ) is the geographically smallest yet also the most densely populated of the six administrative districts of Israel, with a population of 1.35 million residents. It is 98.9% Jewish and 1.10% Arab (0.7% Muslim, 0.4% Chris ...

city of

Ramat Gan Ramat Gan (, ) is a city in the Tel Aviv District of Israel, located east of the municipality of Tel Aviv, and is part of the Gush Dan, Gush Dan metropolitan area. It is home to a Diamond Exchange District (one of the world's major diamond exch ...

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, established in 1950, and is named after Zvi Klir, who fell in the

War of Independence Wars of national liberation, also called wars of independence or wars of liberation, are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) ...

. The studies there last for about three years, with the final year students operating an active theatre with a diverse repertoire of plays, and at the end of which the students receive a diploma.

History

Beit Zvi is the country's first theater school . It was founded by

Haim Gamzu Haim Gamzu (; 1910–1982) (also Haim Gamzou) was an Israeli art and drama critic. Biography Haim Gamzu was born in Chernihiv in the Russian Empire (now Ukraine). In 1923, his family aliyah, immigrated to Mandatory Palestine. Gamzu studied art a ...

. Former director Gary Bilu established a theater for Beit Zvi graduates and mounted plays not put on by the repertory theaters. The Beit Zvi Theater is, until now, one of the most popular and prestigious theaters in Israel, and the most famous actors in Israel have performed at the Beit Zvi Theater. It has five large venues which house over a dozen of productions a year. Beit Zvi's building was designed by Joseph Klarwein. Beit Zvi offers a three-year program with an emphasis on acting in real productions. Micah Lewensohn, appointed head of the school in 2009, is the former director of the Israel Festival. Lewensohn plans to institute a BA degree and a program in television studies.

Notable alumni and actors at the Beit Zvi Theater

Adi Ashkenazi Adi Ashkenazi (; born 23 March 1975) is an Israeli actress, screenwriter, stand-up comedian and television presenter. Biography Ashkenazi was born in Herzliya, Israel. Her Sephardic Jewish family immigrated to Israel from Turkey. She studied act ...

Lior Ashkenazi Lior Ashkenazi (; born 28 December 1968) is an Israeli actor, voice actor, comedian and television presenter. Regarded as one of the best performers of his generation in Israel, he is recognized for his versatile work across independent films, tel ...

(born 1968), stage and movie actor * Shmil Ben Ari *

Naomi Blumenthal Naomi Blumenthal (; born 22 November 1943) is a former Politics of Israel, Israeli politician. First elected to the Knesset in 1992, her political career was ended by a conviction for corruption in 2006. Biography Born in Bitzaron during the Man ...

* Liraz Charhi (born 1978), actress, singer, and dancer * Doron Ben-David (born 1980), actor * Tzufit Grant *

Amos Guttman Amos Guttman (; 10 May 1954 – 16 February 1993) was an Israeli film director, born in Romania. He directed the first-ever Israeli LGBT-themed film and most of his films were based on events that happened in his own personal life. Biography G ...

* Keren Hadar * Samuel Maoz *

Ayelet Menahemi Ayelet Menahemi (; born 1963) is an Israeli film director, producer, writer, editor, and actress. Life and Works Menahemi was born in Tel Aviv in 1963. She attended Beit Zvi School of Stage and Cinematic Arts, graduating with honors in 1985. ...

* Rama Messinger * Khalifa Natour *

Ze'ev Revach Ze'ev (Ze'evik) Nachum Revach (; 15 August 1940 – 18 January 2025) was an Israeli comedian, actor and filmmaker. His prolific acting career included many roles in film, TV, and theater. Revach was a particularly prominent actor in the Boureka ...

(born 1940), comedian, movie actor, and director * Yosef Shiloach * Itay Tiran * Dikla Hadar * Amir Shurush (born 1984), actor * Rita, singer

References

External links

Official site
{{authority control Culture of Israel Schools in Israel Film schools in Israel Educational institutions established in 1950 1950 establishments in Israel Words and phrases in Modern Hebrew