Israeli magazine documentary premieres in Tel Aviv with a star-studded audience

A documentary about the Hebrew weekly and its readers, “The Secrets of LaIsha,” premiered on Monday night at Lev Cinema in Tel Aviv. The film, produced by Orit Merlin Rosenzweig and Anna Somershef for HOT8, looks at the magazine’s close relationship with its audience over the years and includes interviews with women who helped shape what the article calls the country’s most talked-about magazine.

The release comes 80 years after the magazine first appeared and after thousands of articles that the piece says helped drive social change in Israeli society. The film also revisits the publication’s iconic covers, which featured some of Israel’s biggest stars. The premiere drew many well-known women to watch and support the project.

Among those present were Gali Guttman, described as the magazine’s all-time cover leader, Lea Schnirer, Mrs. Miriam Nofer-Mozes, Sigal Shachmon, Ronit Yudkevitz, Michal Ansky, Lihay Lapid and Tzofit Grant. Also in attendance were the filmmakers themselves, along with Bruria Avidan Brier, Hanni Pery, Penina Rosenblum, Ravit Asaf, Michal Pelegin and others.

The article also notes appearances by spouses and partners of some of the guests, including Roni Simanovich with Penina Rosenblum and Eli Barak with Ronit Yudkevitz. The premiere was held as a celebration of the magazine’s legacy and its continued cultural presence.