My Friday: Ilana Avital Returns to the Roots Israel today

Tell me about your Fridays.

"I wake up at 4:00 in the morning and start working. It's my time to organize my workshops, the packages I send, my book 'God, it's between you and me' and the affairs of the performances and recordings. Then my partner and I - we are together for two years , And he prefers not to be exposed - enjoy a homemade breakfast where I cook shakshuka and even spaghetti bolognese and harima. Yes, also in the morning. At noon I drive to Netanya, to my parents' apartment. My father, David, passed away a few weeks ago at the age of 88. Nevertheless, for me it "Still my parents' house. I clean and cook there until the kiddush."

Who performs the kiddush after your father dies?

"My little brother Eric, who lives with my mother Vivian (78). The three of us eat together, with a small circle of friends and family. The tradition of kiddush in my parents' house is important to me, and I do not give up no matter what. The Bictal. "

What's on the table?

"Every Friday my mom prepares marmuma, which is actually a Tunisian dish. We also eat couscous with meat soup and a variety of salads. By the way, my mom's salads taught me a lesson for life: when she says of one salad it 'is very tasty but just doesn't look good,' "Obviously no one will eat from it anymore. I convey this message to my acting and voice development students, with the conclusion that even if they go on stage a little hoarse or weak, not to say anything because from that moment on no one will really listen to their singing."

Do you define yourself as a believer?

"I haven't performed on Saturday for 11 years. You have to give the soul a rest, and even if it has a price in the industry - it does not interest me, only the family."

Born in France, do you have a special memory of Saturdays or holidays?

"When I was 7, before my parents repented, we went to a Reform synagogue on Rosh Hashanah. During the prayer, Dad whispered to me, 'You have a captive audience here. Go for it, get on the chair and just sing.'

I sang "Jerusalem of Gold" to the applause of the audience and felt great about life. "

Do you have a tip for a particularly enjoyable weekend?

"I have a massage chair that I sit on without distractions from the phone. I recommend disconnecting from the world and flowing with the 'fists' in the back."