Shira Haas (born May 11, 1995) is an actress from Israel. Haas has been passionate about performing arts since a young age, and has participated in school plays and local theater productions. It was obvious that she had a promising future ahead, and her talent and dedication were evident.
Early Life
Shira Haas was raised in a family that had a strong Jewish heritage and Holocaust survivors among her grandparents. During her grandmother’s migration from Hungary to Israel, her grandfather survived the Auschwitz concentration camp. At the age of one, the family relocated from Tel Aviv to Hod HaSharon, where she lived alongside her older sister Dotan Haas and a brother.
Her Hebrew name translates to ‘poetry’ or’singing,’ which was apt for someone who would later use storytelling to connect with audiences all over the world. At the age of two, she was diagnosed with kidney cancer and was treated until age six, which hindered her growth but had a profound impact on her perspective. Reflecting on her illness, she has stated that it forced her to mature early and gave her a profound understanding of pain and suffering.
Her 86-year-old grandmother is still a significant figure in her life and helped her learn the Yiddish language she would need for professional roles. Through her upbringing, the family maintained strong connections to their cultural roots.
Education
Shira Haas was a student at Thelma Yellin High School of Arts in Givatayim, Israel, where she focused on theater. Her acting career was founded on this specialized education, which also assisted in the development of her natural talents. While still in high school, she started performing at Tel Aviv’s Cameri Theater in shows such as ‘Ghetto’ and Shakespeare’s ‘Richard III’ at age 14.
Haas opted to serve as a volunteer with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) theater unit and Military Band despite being exempted from mandatory military duty because of her childhood cancer treatment. Through this voluntary service, she showed her commitment to her country and gained performance experience in a different context.
Career
Shira Haas was discovered by Israeli casting director Esther Kling on Facebook in 2014 at the age of 16. Kling persuaded her to apply for the film ‘Princess (2014)’, which was her breakthrough role. Haas described opening the door to his initial audition as entering ‘Narnia’ and never looked back.
At the Jerusalem Film Festival, she received critical acclaim and awards for her debut performance. Her petite frame helped her portray a 12-year-old character convincingly, as praised by The Hollywood Reporter. In 2015, she was awarded Best Actress at the Peace & Love Film Festival.
The success opened doors to ‘A Tale of Love and Darkness’ (2015). Her performance resulted in her receiving Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, making her the first Israeli actress to receive a Primetime Emmy Award. In addition, she had a role in ‘The Zookeeper’s Wife’ (2017) with Jessica Chastain and ‘Foxtrot’ (2017), Israel’s Oscar submission.
Personal Life
Shira Haas is very private when it comes to her personal life. Israeli media reports indicate that she ended her four-year relationship with film director Ido Weisman in early 2025. The details of her previous relationship with Daniel Moreshet are kept private.
Her mother, Ariela “Leah” Haas, died of cancer at the age of 61 in August 2022, causing her to experience a profound loss. The loss was deeply felt by her, and acting played a significant role in helping her process it, particularly through her role in ‘Night Therapy.’
According to her account, she is naturally shy and introverted, staying up until 3 AM engaged in creative activities such as reading, writing, and rehearsing. These are the hours of silence that she calls’magical’. Her creativity is fueled by her documented fear of cats due to allergies and unusual sleep patterns.
