Avishai Shitrit, the Janitor Turned Children's Star: "I Knew This Was My Calling"

Many good things can be said about the actor Avishai Shitrit, a man whose path was filled with challenges yet succeeded in leading him to do the things he loves in life. However, the first thing that stands out when meeting this charming children's star is the warmth and love he expresses toward children, whether on-screen or off.

Unlike most actors, Shitrit's (36) path to the stage began from a completely different angle. "Since I love children very much, I always did things connected to their world in some way. It started when I studied teaching and taught children for three years, which continued to a janitor job," he says, "Yes, yes. You'll soon understand why. From there, when I realized my calling was much greater than that, Hashem took care to set everything right."

And how does a transition from a teacher to a janitor happen? I would say it's quite the opposite move.

(Laughs) "That's it, in my role as a teacher - it turns out I was too 'friendly'. Instead of maintaining a distance with my students and keeping a cool demeanor, I used to hug them, run through the hallways with them, and play with them during breaks. I just couldn't help it. Then I thought to myself, 'I know I love teaching, but the way I teach is unique, and I want to find a way to combine my love for education with my love for children.'

And because he searched, he found. "There's no doubt that the janitor role was good for a while - it fulfilled my need to give and help, provided a decent supplementary income, and mainly helped me continue to bring joy to the children. But when I felt my soul urging me to do what I do best, the most natural thing was to start looking for an alternative.

"At first it was fun and nice, but over time - I don't know, I just felt it wasn't me. I knew something else, much bigger, awaited me around the corner than holding a drill - with no disrespect to those who do that for years. Some are capable of sitting in an office or hammering nails into walls for 20 years - and they are the happiest people on Earth. I'm not like that. Apart from the fact that I really enjoyed being around children - this role simply trapped me, and I felt I needed to act fast if I wanted to benefit from this situation."

Avishai Shitrit

And he acted, but the drastic change didn't happen immediately. "I remember how I always tried to drift into acting. I knew it was my calling, I just didn't know how to bring my talents into action. Sure, here and there I accepted various offers that came my way - plays at my child's kindergarten, story hours, etc., but the frequency wasn't high enough, and I still couldn't earn a living from it at that stage."

Apparently, from Above, they saw his strong desire and knew what he was truly capable of, and one day decided it was his time to 'be revealed' and bring his potential into action. "A good friend recommended me for a puppet role on the Meir Channel for Kids, and don't ask me how it happened - but I got the part. To this day, I laugh about it because the truth is - I had no idea how to operate a puppet. But Hashem made a miracle - the moment I sat down in the chair and started operating the puppet, it suddenly worked."

When Hashem directs a man's path - even a child's voice can emerge from him

Not only did it work, but it also succeeded, and soon Shitrit became a beloved children's star known far and wide.

Nowadays, among his various roles as a puppeteer, actor, and voice actor - he also appears on Hidabroot, voicing in the show "Tzur Shelanu". Additionally, Shitrit stars in the Chanukah play "Sibling Tribe", written by Assaf Ashtar and directed by Yaron Kafkafi.

"One day I was approached by the Hidabroot channel, offering me to audition for the children's show 'Tzur Shelanu' - as the puppeteer for 'Tzur,'" Shitrit recounts his start with the world's largest Jewish channel, "I arrived for the audition. The studio was bustling with professionals. Suddenly the camera focused on me, and I was asked to make children's voices. And so I'm sitting there with Tzur, reading the script, understanding the words, opening my mouth - and all I managed to produce was a jumble of strange and funny sounds that might have been good for other shows, but not for a children's program. And I tried again, but nothing. Not a single child's voice. It was quite a disappointing feeling."

Then, they sent him home and asked him to come another day, perhaps because he was nervous.

It's not a problem; someone like Shitrit wouldn't back down or give up - he attended the second audition, and surprisingly, the same story repeated itself. "Then they told me, 'Listen. You didn't pass the audition.' And I tell them: 'Listen, I've been operating puppets for several years, and I know how to do this. It can't be that it's not working, something bigger than me is happening here.' I didn't know how to explain what this 'big thing' was, but luckily the production team agreed to give me another chance."

However, this time, in addition to his natural talents and the experience he brought, Shitrit decided to equip himself with something else. "Before the audition, I went to the grave of Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu ztz"l, lay on it, and just started to cry. I felt I could perform the role, that the voice was hidden within me, and I just needed something to let it out. After this prayer, a miracle happened."

Did the voice come out?

(Laughs) "Does it have a choice? Yes, it did. But the funniest thing is that it happened entirely by 'accident'."

What do you mean by accident?

"I mean that voice wasn't in me then. I had other children's voices, but this specific voice - I know I received as a gift. It's amazing. To this day when I voice Tzur - even those closest to me don't believe it's actually me. So I feel and even know that this voice is a voice that Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu ztz"l helped me receive."

Well, we already understand the advantages of his profession - it's fun, enriching, and brings joy to others. But where are the downsides? Well, upon hearing the question, Shitrit seems a bit puzzled. "I don't see downsides, and I'll tell you why: it's not that I ended up in this situation - and out of necessity 'drifted' into the profession. Hashem created me this way, and I am grateful for the privilege of living as who I truly am," he says. 

And your children? How do they feel about their father being the object of other children's admiration?

Shitrit smiles, trying to hide the embarrassment. "My children are 12, 10, 7, and 3, and before every family outing - without exception, they give me a 're-education' course. 'Dad, we're going to a parent-teacher meeting now, and you've been warned: you're not joking with them. You're not signing autographs for anyone. You're not even talking to them,' Okay. And... what if they do talk to me? I insist. 'Then you don't answer them. You're our dad, not theirs.' These conversations repeat over and over and amuse me each time. But it's totally understandable. After all, every child wants their dad all to themselves, and that's perfectly okay."