Ziva Rodann

Ziva Rodann (, born Ziva Blechman ; 2 March 1933), known first as Ziva Shapir, is an Israeli-American actress. She was a Hollywood film star and a frequent guest star on television series from the late 1950s to the late 1960s. The Canadian Jewish Chronicle described her as "the first Israeli actress to be signed to a long-term deal with a major motion picture studio." Early life Rodann was born in Haifa to Yeshaiahu "Shaya" Blechman, a professor of mathematics, and his wife, Rosa. She first arrived in the United States in 1947, when she was sent to live with her aunt and uncle in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., where she attended and graduated from Kirkwood High School. When she returned to Israel, she took night classes at Tel Aviv University and majored in art, history, and languages. She was accepted at the Habima Theatre, where she studied acting, and then joined the Israeli army in 1952. In 1954, she worked at the Chamber Theatre, where she played leading roles in American plays in Hebrew and musical comedies.