Nati Ravitz: More Than Just Breathing - A Jewish Journey

A Jewish Value I Connect With

"I connect with everything Judaism offers as a way of life, but the principle I feel most connected to is ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Loving others before loving Hashem as a commandment from Him is incredible to me. It encapsulates so much wisdom, depth, values, and beauty, reminding me daily of the wonder of creation and the timelessness of the Torah."

A Jewish Figure I Admire

"It’s unfair because there are so many... If I have to choose, I’d say the Lubavitcher Rebbe. He embodies the last generation and instills in the people the heritage of our ancestors. He achieved great transformations worldwide regarding Judaism and its eternity, all in love for Hashem, love for Israel, love for the world in purity and holiness, using the physical world to connect to the spiritual world and to Hashem."

What Judaism Means to Me

"A way of life. It is life. ‘Yehudi’ is derived from ‘modeh’: acknowledging truth and expressing gratitude. I was born Jewish, thank God, and according to my history and origins, I have a purpose in this world. I didn’t come to this world just to eat, sleep, work hard, chase happiness, at best build a family and die. There’s so much more, and when you connect to your roots, you realize how it’s like water to a thirsty person."

A Mitzvah Close to My Heart

"There are two. The first is Shabbat, such a beautiful gift Hashem has given us. It contains so many layers of wisdom and beauty that are hard to describe - you have to experience it to understand. The second is family purity. For both its inner meanings and what it does for relationships, intimacy, mutual respect, and listening - it’s a tremendous mitzvah."

Nati Ravitz (Photo: Jonathan Khabaroni, Wikipedia)

Favorite Holiday

"Shavuot. There’s a sense and atmosphere of a holiday everywhere, a holiday of closeness and connection, very family-oriented. And the all-night study... it’s like a transatlantic first-class flight."

A Biblical Figure I’d Like to Meet

"King David. The man who turned a collection of Jews living in the Land into an empire, preparing the world for the construction of the Temple, a war hero, musical genius, poet extraordinaire, and above all, the only leader in history who did tshuva every single day of his life. You just don’t find that..."

Favorite Book

"The Book of Psalms. Enough said."

A Project That Personally Impacted Me

"‘La Familia,’ a musical entertainment show featuring my father, brother, and myself. A family project where we bring our relationships to the stage with a humorous wink, playing and singing. Even though it’s not simple, it’s a great privilege to stand on the same stage with your family. It’s definitely rare and unique."

Professionally, Am I Where I Imagined?

"I’m always on the way to the peak of my abilities, so there isn’t a specific place I aim to be professionally."

A Moment of Missed Opportunity

"There are many such moments. Anytime I get interesting offers from theater, film, or television simultaneously and have to choose, every decision comes with a feeling of missing out. Besides that, with every role I take, I’m always left thinking, ‘I could have done it much better’ or ‘I should have insisted on another take.’ I have very strict self-criticism; on most things I’ve done, I critique myself. I always try to learn and improve from each role for the next one."

A Lesson That Sticks With Me

"As a student at Beit Zvi, we learned 14 hours a day. Insane. I went to Gary Bilu, may he rest in peace, the manager of Beit Zvi back then, and told him that actors need rest sometimes to improve their performance. He told me, ‘An actor rests in the grave.’ How right he was. Artists, in general, are searching creatures. I don’t think any artist ever feels ‘I’ve arrived.’"

Something People Don’t Know About Me

"I hate when the windshield wipers are working on dry glass, so when it rains, I wait until the windshield is completely wet to operate them."

Something I Want People to Know About Me

"I’ve got more surprises coming. The celebration has just begun."

Living According to Judaism Means

"You build yourself a path. A path with a goal. With direction. With purpose. Life not aligned with Judaism today seems to me like the Alfa Romeo commercial - just because you are breathing doesn’t mean you are living."