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Noa Tishby

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Noa Tishby
נועה תשבי
Noa Tishby in Jaffa, 2021
Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and the Delegitimization of Israel
In office
4 November 2022 – 2 April 2023
PresidentIsaac Herzog
Prime MinisterYair Lapid
Benjamin Netanyahu
MinisterYair Lapid
Eli Cohen
Preceded byPosition established
Personal details
BornNoa Tohar Tishby
May 1975 (age 51)
Tel Aviv, Israel
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2008; div. 2011)​
Children1
Occupation
  • Activist
  • actress
  • model
  • producer
  • writer
Websitenoatishby.com

Noa Tohar Tishby (Hebrew: נועה טוהר תשבי; Hebrew pronunciation: [no'ʔa tiʃ'bi]; born May 1975[1]) is an Israeli actress and activist. She appeared in a variety of American television shows and movies, including The Affair, The Island, Nip/Tuck, Big Love, NCIS, and others. She is the co-executive producer of the HBO series In Treatment, which is an adaptation of the Israeli series BeTipul. Her production company Noa's Arc was responsible for selling several other adaptations of Israeli programs to American networks.

Tishby focuses on Zionist activism, founding the advocacy organization Act for Israel in 2011. In 2021, she published her first book, Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth. She served as the Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and the Delegitimization of Israel for one year, from 2022 to 2023.

Early life

Noa Tishby was born in Tel Aviv, Israel,[2] in May 1975,[1] into a Jewish family involved in the establishment of Israel.[3] The kibbutz her grandfather co-founded was among the first in Israel's history.[3] Tishby began acting at an early age, appearing in commercials by age 8.[4] As a teenager, she earned a drama scholarship from the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and acted in several stage productions and television shows.[5] She also served two and a half years in the Israel Defense Forces.[4] She has described herself as having had a secular Zionist upbringing, having first been to a synagogue only after she had moved to Los Angeles.[6]

Career

Tishby began to achieve fame in Israel in the 1990s, appearing on the Israeli television drama Ramat Aviv Gimmel[2] and starring as Anita in a production of West Side Story at the Habima Theatre.[5][7] She released an English language album (Nona)[5] and appeared on magazine covers and billboard ads as a model.[2] In the early 2000s, she moved to Los Angeles, an ambition she had from childhood.[4][8]

By 2006, Tishby had appeared in a series of television roles on shows like Star Trek: Enterprise, Nip/Tuck, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The 4400, and Charmed. She had a part in the 2005 film The Island. In 2008, Tishby sold the Israeli drama series BeTipul to HBO. It was the first Israeli format to become an American television show.[9] The resultant American adaptation, In Treatment,[10] premiered in 2008 with Tishby as co-executive producer along with Mark Wahlberg.[11]

It ran for three seasons between 2008 and 2010, before returning for a fourth season in 2021 with Tishby still as co-executive producer.[12] The show, which follows a series of fictional therapy sessions, won a Peabody Award in 2009.[13] In the years during and after In Treatment's first run, Tishby continued to play roles on TV shows like NCIS and Big Love.[14][15]

Additionally, Tishby began pitching adaptations of other Israeli programs to American networks[16] through her production company Noa's Arc.[14] Tishby was responsible for the development of adaptations for A Touch Away,[16] as well as Life Isn't Everything,[17] which was renamed Divorce: A Love Story for the American version.[18]

In July 2017, Tishby served as the host of the opening ceremony of the 2017 Maccabiah Games.[19]

Activism

Tishby has been an activist advocating for Israel since at least 2011.[2] Tishby has harshly criticized the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, referring to the principles behind its cause as "misinformation, disinformation, manipulation, elimination of history and flat-out lies."[2] She has called Amnesty International's characterization of Israel as an apartheid state "disgraceful".[20]

In 2014, she founded Reality Israel, which holds a series of "leadership trips" for Jewish and non-Jewish people in Israel.[21] In 2016 and 2018, she spoke before the United Nations General Assembly in New York City in support of Israel.[2] In February 2021, Tishby joined the Black–Jewish Entertainment Alliance.[22]

In April 2022, Tishby was appointed by then-Prime Minister Yair Lapid as Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and the Delegitimization of Israel, the first person to serve in the newly created position.[23] Her appointment to the position initially drew skepticism.[24] She also registered as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).[25] In April 2023, she was dismissed from the position after she spoke out against the judicial reform proposed by the new government of re-elected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.[26]

Act for Israel

In 2011, Tishby founded Act for Israel, an online Zionist advocacy organization. Tishby created the group with a stated goal of correcting misinformation about Israel's history, culture, and governmental policies.[3][27] In March 2011, Act for Israel arranged seven interviews of an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) delegation with American blogs and radio shows, including RedState.[25] Act for Israel later became defunct.[25]

In 2025, the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft reported on emails leaked by the Handala Hack Team, which indicated that Act for Israel's activities on behalf of Israel violated FARA, and that the scope and timeline of Tishby's pro-Israel work went beyond what she had disclosed when registering as a foreign agent.[25] According to the Quincy Institute, "In public, Act For Israel appeared to be no more than a group of pro-Israel Americans advocating for a stronger U.S.-Israel relationship. But the leaked emails and documents show that representatives of the organization sought to shape U.S. public opinion while boasting privately of their intimate collaboration with the Israeli government".[25]

Gaza war

During the Gaza war, Tishby has been a leading Zionist voice in the U.S.[28] On 10 October 2023, three days after the start of the war, Tishby was one of ten people appointed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen to advocate for Israel online during the war. The other nine team members were, Arsen Ostrovsky, Hen Mazzig, Tali Eshkoli [he], Michael Dickson, Joe Zevuloni [he], Natalie Dodon [he], Emily Schrader, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, and Michal Cotler-Wunsh.[29][30]

Tishby has advocated for the return of hostages taken by Hamas, and criticized "so-called pro-Palestinian movements" in the United States.[25] In late 2023, Tishby appeared in several videos with Mayim Bialik in which they rejected calls for a ceasefire.[31][32] In January 2024, antisemitism scholar Anat Plocker, writing in The Nation, criticized Tishby for conflating criticism of Israel and Zionism with antisemitism. Plocker also critiqued Tishby's claims that pro-Palestinian protesters are secretly serving foreign governments that have "sent their tentacles" and that critics of Israel were "planted" at American universities, stating that these accusations themselves relied on antisemitic tropes.[33] That May, Tishby posted a photo of Nahla Al-Arian, wife of political activist Sami Al-Arian, at Columbia University and falsely claimed she had been "convicted with connections to terrorism financing".[34][35]

In an October 2025 interview with the National Post, Tishby stated that Israel had lost its public relations war.[36]

On 22 October 2025, Tishby was featured as a speaker at the convocation ceremony at Liberty University.[37]

In 2025, The Jerusalem Post included Tishby on their list of "50 Most Influential Jews", ranking 45th in a group entry of seven pro-Israel influencers.[38][39]

In January 2026, Tishby appeared as a guest on the PBS program Firing Line with Margaret Hoover.[40]

Eighteen

Tishby founded the nonprofit media organization Eighteen in 2024, of which she is the CEO, describing its mission as being "to empower Jews and allies to be proud advocates of Israel, the Jewish community and Western values. Its mission is to fight antisemitism, defend Israel and inspire Jewish pride."[41][42][43] In December 2024, Eighteen began producing a video project of menorah lightings where Tishby appeared alongside a different celebrity figure for each night of Hanukkah, with the series from December 2024-January 2025 featuring Gwyneth Paltrow, Mila Kunis, Mayim Bialik, Iliza Shlesinger, Van Jones, Cindy Crawford, Tiffany Haddish, and Gal Gadot.[41][44] In 2025, Eighteen launched the Voices of October 7 speaking tour, which was hosted at six campuses in the United States.[45] In 2026, Eighteen produced a kindergarten-grade 12 curriculum on Judaism and Israel titled "What is".[46] On April 21, 2026, the Los Angeles Unified School District unanimously passed a motion to recognize May as Jewish American Heritage Month and to encourage the use of the curriculum developed by Tishby and Eighteen.[47] In September 2026, under the auspices of Eighteen, Tishby launched the Voices of the Middle East college campus tour alongside Jonathan Elkhoury and Fatema Al Harbi.[48]

Books

In April 2021, Tishby released her first book, Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth. The book discusses the history and culture of Israel with autobiographical details. In the book, Tishby takes a Zionist stance and criticizes the BDS movement as it pertains to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[2] The book was published by Simon & Schuster.[21]

In 2024, Simon & Schuster published her second book on antisemitism, co-written with African-American activist Emmanuel Acho, titled Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew.[49] The book won the Education and Jewish identity Award at the 74th National Jewish Book Awards.[50][51]

Personal life

Tishby is the granddaughter of Fania Artzi, one of the founders of the kibbutz at Degania, Hanan Yavor, an Israeli diplomat, and Nachum Tisch, who was a founder of the Israeli Ministry of Industry and Trade. Her mother, Yael Tishby, served as head of the food department at the Israeli Export Centre.[8]

Tishby gained U.S. citizenship in 2008.[52]

Tishby was married to Australian television presenter Osher Günsberg from 2008 to 2011. She later had a relationship with financier Ross Hinkle, which produced a son, Ari, born in November 2015. Tishby and Hinkle are no longer together, and co-parent Ari. Tishby is on good terms with both Günsberg and Hinkle.[4][53][54]

In 2022, Tishby became the 11,000th signer of the Jewish Future Pledge, a charitable campaign modeled after The Giving Pledge to encourage American Jews to designate at least 50% of their charitable giving to Jewish- or Israel-related causes.[55]

Tishby was awarded an honorary doctorate by Reichman University on June 4, 2024, awarded for having "made exceptional contributions to the State of Israel since October 7."[56][43]

Filmography

As actress

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Hercules Megara Voice; Hebrew dub
2003 Connecting Dots Carrie
2004 Skeleton Man Sgt. Davis
2005 Fatwa Spy
2005 The Island Community Announcer
2009 Ghosts of Girlfriends Past Kiki
2025 October 8 Herself

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Ramat Aviv Gimmel Dafna Maor Supporting role (Israeli show)
2001 Shachar Dana Mazor Supporting role (Israeli show)
2003 Miss Match Beverly Episode: "The Price of Love"
2003 Coupling The Girl Episode: "A Foreign Affair"
2003 The Drew Carey Show Rachel Episode: "Blecch Sunday"
2003 CSI: Miami Gloria Tynan / Gina Cusack Episode: "Double Cap"
2003 Nip/Tuck Janelle Episode: "Mandi/Randi"
2004 Star Trek: Enterprise Amanda Cole Episode: "Harbinger"
2005 Las Vegas Lisa Episode: "Whale of a Time"
2005 The 4400 Chloe Granger Episode: "Weight of the World"
2005 Charmed Black Heart Episode: "Malice in Wonderland"
2005 CSI: NY Polly Part'em Episode: "Jamalot"
2009 Big Love Ladonna 4 episodes
2009 NCIS DEA Agent Claire Connell Episode: "Truth or Consequences"
2009 Leverage Mikel Dayan Episode: "The Two Live Crew Job"
2009 Valentine Bast 4 episodes
2010 The Deep End Rachel Blau Pilot
2015 Dig Liat 6 episodes
2018 The Affair Psychologist 1 Episode
2023 Eretz Nehederet College activist 1 Episode

As producer

Year Title Role Notes
2008–2010 In Treatment Executive producer 106 episodes
2013 Divorce: A Love Story Executive producer TV movie

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Steinberg, Jessica (2 June 2015). "Actress turns 40 with Zionist debate". Times of Israel. Retrieved 17 April 2022.)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sarner, Robert (6 May 2021). "Israeli actress Noa Tishby's 'Simple Guide' to Israel shakes up US progressives". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Ghermezian, Shiryn (19 April 2021). "Israeli-American Actress-Turned-Author Noa Tishby Seeks to Explain 'Misunderstood' Israel in New Book". Algemeiner Journal. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Fishbach, Brian (6 October 2021). "Noa Tishby: From Hollywood to Israel". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 Brinn, David (26 June 2008). "Israeli impresario". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  6. ↑ Refael, Tabby (6 March 2024). "The Unshakable Courage of Mandana Dayani, Debra Messing and Noa Tishby". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  7. ↑ Schleier, Curt (May 2021). "Noa Tishby's 'Simple Guide' to Israel". Hadassah Magazine. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  8. 1 2 White, Francine (14 September 2023). "Noa's Arc: How Noa Tishby went from actress to Israel activist". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  9. ↑ Sela-Sheffy, Rakefet (1 February 2017). "Two-way cultural transfer: the case of the Israeli TV series BeTipul and its American adaptation In Treatment". Media, Culture & Society. 39 (6): 781–797. doi:10.1177/0163443717693679. S2CID 151849499.
  10. ↑ Kupfer, Ruta (2 November 2006). "America Needs to Be 'In Treatment'". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  11. ↑ Saval, Malina (11 June 2018). "In Treatment". Variety. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  12. ↑ Del Rosario, Alexandria (12 April 2021). "'In Treatment': HBO's Uzo Aduba Therapy Drama Gets Season 4 Premiere Date, Teaser". Deadline. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  13. ↑ "In Treatment". Peabody Awards. 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  14. 1 2 Klein Leichman, Abigail (14 August 2018). "10 prominent Israelis at the head of US businesses". Israel21c. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  15. ↑ Popper, Nathaniel (21 January 2009). "Big Love's Resident Kibbutznik". Forward. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  16. 1 2 Spence, Rebecca (13 March 2008). "Hollywood Execs Tune In to Israeli Television". Forward. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  17. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (30 October 2011). "CBS Buys Adaptation Of Hit Israeli Comedy 'Life Isn't Everything'". Deadline. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  18. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (1 February 2013). "ABC Greenlights Divorce Comedy Pilot". Deadline. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  19. ↑ "Surprise wedding thrills attendees at Maccabiah opening". The Times of Israel. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  20. ↑ "Report labelling Israel an apartheid state is 'disgraceful'". News.com.au. 6 February 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  21. 1 2 Saval, Malina (7 April 2021). "'In Treatment' Executive Producer Noa Tishby Drops Debut Book on Israel". Variety. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  22. ↑ Hartog, Kelly (5 February 2021). "Over 170 celebrities join Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  23. ↑ Harkov, Lahav (11 April 2022). "Lapid appoints activist actress Noa Tishby as antisemitism envoy". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  24. ↑ Blum, Ruthie (22 May 2022). "Noa Tishby's surprisingly welcome splash on the 'hasbara' scene". JNS. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Echols, Connor (2 December 2025). "Inside Israel's shadow campaign to win over American media". Responsible Statecraft. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  26. ↑ "Israel fires special envoy Noa Tishby who had criticized judicial reform". The Jerusalem Post. 2 April 2023. ISSN 0792-822X. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  27. ↑ Brinn, David (18 November 2021). "Noa Tishby: I don't care if I lose acting jobs for my support of Israel". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  28. ↑ Rosman, Katherine (2 November 2023). "An 'Israel Explainer' Makes Her Country's Case in America". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  29. ↑ Klein, Zvika (10 October 2023). "MFA launches online advocacy campaign with Israeli influencers". The Jerusalem Post.
  30. ↑ News sources in Hebrew:
  31. ↑ Lapin, Andrew (16 February 2024). "An effort to track antisemitism in the literary world launches amid widespread anti-Israel sentiment there". The Forward. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  32. ↑ Tishby, Noa (6 November 2023). "Facts of the Week with Mayim Bialik and Noa Tishby | Israel at War". Retrieved 7 November 2023 – via YouTube.
  33. ↑ Plocker, Anat (8 January 2024). "How Israel's Special Antisemitism Envoy Is Getting Antisemitism Totally (and Dangerously) Wrong". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  34. ↑ Scahill, Jeremy (3 May 2024). "NYC Mayor Smeared a Grandmother as an "Outside Agitator" to Justify NYPD Assault on Columbia". The Intercept. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  35. ↑ "Protesting Students at American Universities Are Facing Misleading Accusations of Anti-Semitism". Misbar. 7 May 2024. Israeli actress Noa Tishby also published a photo of Nahla Al-Erian at Columbia University, claiming that she was convicted of financing terrorism, despite no report or news was published indicating her involvement in terrorist financing or any other related cases.
  36. ↑ Gordon, Dave (5 October 2025). "Interview with Noa Tishby: Two years after October 7, Israel has lost the PR war". National Post.
  37. ↑ Degnan, Abigail (22 October 2025). "Students hear from survivors of Hamas attacks and Israeli activist Noa Tishby at Liberty University Convocation". Liberty University. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  38. ↑ "50 MOST INFLUENTIAL JEWS 2025". The Jerusalem Post. Israel. 2025. Archived from the original on 21 September 2025. 45. Gal Gadot, Arsen Ostrovsky, Siggy Flicker, Hen Mazzig, Hillel Neuer, Noa Tishby, Eyal Yakoby: From Hollywood stars to human-rights lawyers, seven pro-Israel influencers share a commitment
  39. ↑ Perets, Shir (21 September 2025). "No. 45: Gal Gadot and other powerful pro-Israel voices". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 6 February 2026.
  40. ↑ "Noa Tishby". Firing Line with Margaret Hoover. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  41. 1 2 Hornik, Susan (31 December 2024). "Noa Tishby: Showing the World It's Cool to Be Jewish". Aish. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  42. ↑ "Noa Tishby". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  43. 1 2 "Noa Tishby". Milken Institute. 7 May 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  44. ↑ Fishbach, Brian (3 January 2025). "Over 20 Million Watch Noa Tishby's Menorah Lighting Videos with Celebrity Guests". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  45. ↑ Dayanim, Nira (2 April 2025). "Noa Tishby launches national tour with her new nonprofit, Eighteen, bringing Oct. 7 survivors to U.S." eJewishPhilanthropy. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  46. ↑ Raziel, Benjamin (9 April 2026). "Noa Tishby Brings Clarity, Courage and a Call to Action to Beth Jacob". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  47. ↑ Cohen, Haley (30 April 2026). "L.A. school district recognizes Jewish American Heritage Month after Noa Tishby push". Jewish Insider. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  48. ↑ Funk, Elyana (24 September 2026). "Noa Tishby Visits CU Boulder Hillel". Boulder Jewish News. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  49. ↑ Sanders, Josh; Fox, Adam (1 May 2024). "New book "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew" tackles antisemitism amid pro-Palestine protests across United States - CBS Philadelphia". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
  50. ↑ Lobell, Kylie Ora (28 January 2025). "Noa Tishby on "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew" and Fighting Antisemitism". Aish. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  51. ↑ "National Jewish Book Awards Winners Announced". Atlanta Jewish Times. 29 January 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  52. ↑ Baum, Gary (12 May 2026). "The Actress Fighting Israel's PR War On Her Own Terms". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  53. ↑ "Osher's ex-wife breaks her silence: 'It became toxic'". News.com.au. 9 August 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  54. ↑ "Noa's Arc: How Noa Tishby went from actress to Israel activist". 14 September 2023.
  55. ↑ "Noa Tishby Becomes The 11,000th Person To Sign The Jewish Future Pledge". Boulder Jewish News. 19 December 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  56. ↑ "Reichman University confers honorary doctorates in recognition of Israeli Heroism". Reichman University. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
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