Avishai Shitrit: Bringing Torah to Life Through Puppets and Laughter

It’s time you get to know the man behind the puppet. Avishai Shitrit is the voice and creative spirit behind “Tzur” in the popular children’s programs Tzur Mishelanu and Sipur Im Tzur on the Hidabroot Channel. He’s also been featured in the Meir Channel’s beloved children’s shows like Asi and Tuvia and Polke’s Laboratory, and performs with his own productions and with the “Mosaic” theater. But his journey to the stage and to his purpose was far from simple.

“I discovered the actor in me at a very young age,” Avishai begins, “but the way it came out wasn’t ideal. I’d clown around with friends, pull pranks, make jokes. The adults around me saw it as disruptive. They always tried to discourage me from using that side of myself. Acting, they said, was something for Purim or school plays. I internalized that message and came to believe that acting wasn’t something serious or positive.”

Everything changed when his wife, Efrat, told him: “You have to be an actor.” At first, he resisted. “I tried to explain that it was something silly, something I had been trained to push aside,” he recalls. “But thank G-d, Efrat didn’t give up. Thank you, Efrat.”

He started auditioning for theater groups but was turned away due to lack of experience. Then something remarkable happened. “Hashem saw that I had opened the door and He opened more for me.” A kindergarten teacher recommended him for a performance in a nearby town. He hesitated, saying he wasn’t ready, but she insisted. That first show changed everything.

“Soon after, the cultural director of our community center called and said, ‘I heard you’re doing a show in Adam. I’m coming to see it. If I like it, I’ll include you in our programs.’ She came, she loved it and the rest is history.”

Avishai is 34, married to Efrat (a pastry chef and community coordinator), and father to four children: Uri (10, “a brilliant scientist in the making”), Hila (7, “a natural actress”), Shachar (5, “so sweet and charming”), and Noa (1, “the light of our home”). They live in Migron, where they enjoy a peaceful, close-knit community life.

What drew him to children’s entertainment?

“I’ve always loved kids,” he says. “Even when I was young, I could connect with younger children. I knew I wanted to work with them. Acting fit naturally with that. But because I saw acting as something negative, I went into education instead.”

How did that feel?

“I really enjoyed teaching,” he says. “I taught early childhood for three years. That age is just magical. I fell in love with every child. But even with all the joy, I felt something was missing. It was like my soul was imprisoned. I wasn’t using the gift Hashem gave meת to be an actor. Thank G-d I found the way back.”

So how did he end up at Hidabroot?

“Totally through Hashem’s kindness,” he says. “A director I had worked with, Ayelet Rips, told me that Hidabroot was looking for a puppeteer. She said, ‘I recommended you. Call the director, Orit.’ I went to the audition. They said I was great at puppeteering, but my voice wasn’t right. That hurt. I went to pray at the grave of Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu and begged Hashem to help me. I asked for a voice that would fit. Thank G-d, the voice of ‘Tzur’ came out of my mouth and even now I sometimes can’t believe it’s me. People who know me thought the voice was edited on a computer!”

That was a year ago. Since then, Tzur Mishelanu has become a hit on the Hidabroot Channel. The first season aired with ten episodes, and because of the overwhelmingly warm response from children and their parents, they began filming a second season. At the same time, they launched a new series, Sipur Im Tzur, directed by Tiki Vidas.

“Avishai is so talented, it’s like Tzur is a real person,” says Keren Habari, executive producer of the children’s programs on Hidabroot. “His reactions and movements are so alive, it’s like he breathes a soul into the puppet. And beyond his talent, he’s just a joy to work with. During filming, he has us laughing to tears.”

Avishai sees it all as part of his spiritual mission.

“I believe this is the work of Hashem. I use the talent He gave me to help others, to bring them closer to Torah and mitzvot in a way that’s warm and real. I see myself as a messenger in two ways. First, through the contentת I get to pass on meaningful messages that kids understand and remember. Second, just by being a religious actor. It shows people that Hashem belongs in every corner of life even in entertainment. There’s holiness even in places that once seemed empty. I believe everyone, no matter what they do, can be a dwelling place for Hashem. I pray we merit that.”

He speaks like someone who returned to Jewish observance but that’s not the whole story.

“I’m not your typical ba’al teshuva,” he explains. “I was born into a Torah-observant family, raised with Torah and mitzvot. But still, I feel like a ba’al teshuva. And really, who isn’t? We all have parts of our spiritual life that we ignored, neglected, or forgot about. Then one day, we wake up and say, ‘Enough! I want to return to Hashem.’ In those areas, I’m definitely a ba’al teshuva.”

What’s next?

“There’s a plan for a new show on Hidabroot, short clips with Tzur about lashon hara, harmful speech. I think it’s a wonderful idea and I really hope it takes off.”