Tzofit Grant: 10 Surprising Facts on Her 62nd Birthday

Israeli TV personality Tzofit Grant is celebrating her 62nd birthday on Friday. While widely recognized for her show "Lost" (אבודים) and her marriage to Shuli Rand, Grant's life has been marked by surprising turns, personal transformations, and public controversies.

Born Sharon Elishiv in Petah Tikva in 1964, she later changed her name to Tzofia Elishiv and finally Tzofit Grant. Her childhood was unsettled, involving her parents' divorce when she was five and periods living with different relatives, including her grandparents. Grant has openly shared her experiences of childhood sexual abuse, which she endured from the age of nine, and her time in a boarding school. These difficult experiences later informed her television work on themes of sexual assault and trauma.

Before her fame with "Lost," Grant hosted the provocative 1990s show "Milkshake," where she engaged in unusual stunts, including drinking her own urine on live television, bathing in chocolate and spaghetti, and undergoing leech therapy. This segment became a memorable, albeit controversial, moment in her career.

Grant also has a background as an actress, graduating from the Beit Zvi acting school in 1989. She has appeared in various theater productions, films, and television series, including "Ramat Aviv Gimel," "The Champion," "Exposed," and "The Dreamer." In "Exposed" and its follow-up "Rest," she portrayed a tough news editor.

The concept for her popular show "Lost," which premiered in 2011 and helps people reconnect with lost family members, was partly inspired by Grant's own experiences with parental separation in her youth. The show reflects her personal engagement with family ties, separations, and the search for lost connections.

Grant was previously married for approximately 22 years to renowned Israeli football coach Avraham Grant, with whom she has two children, Daniel and Romy. Despite their divorce, they have maintained a close relationship, with Grant describing their amicable separation as a significant achievement. Her current husband, Shuli Rand, is a well-known figure in Israeli entertainment. Grant and Rand first met over three decades ago while acting together and rekindled their relationship years later, marrying in a small ceremony in the Jerusalem hills in 2021. Their wedding was kept highly private, with guests asked to surrender their phones and receiving the location shortly before the event.

Following her marriage to Rand, Grant began observing Shabbat and holidays, choosing not to work on these days. She has spoken about her increasing connection to Judaism and the importance of faith and tradition in her life. Beyond her media career, Grant is also involved in social activism. Since 2011, she has been a prominent advocate for mental health awareness, joining and eventually becoming president of the Enosh organization, which supports individuals with mental health challenges and their families, working to combat stigma.