The story of my epic journey to Judaism, to my People, my Land, my husband and my destiny.
ב״ה
“I’m here, I’m listening… I’m home, finally”
Shira Ben Avraham (originally Gizelle le Roux) was born to an Afrikaner, Christian family in Pretoria, South Africa. Inspired by her parents’ search for truth and their passion for Israel, Shira developed an interest in Judaism at a young age.
In high school, Shira (pronounced Shee-ra) started writing songs, expressing her feelings with touching honesty and enchanting melodies. After completing her university degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering, she moved to Johannesburg for work and started performing in her free time. She soon released her first indie album to critical acclaim, but then, unexpectedly, she lost her inspiration. She decided to leave it all behind and to embark on a search for new direction and so, in 2012, she moved ‘down under’ - to Melbourne, Australia.
All alone on an unknown continent, Shira had to dig deep and truly define herself, her beliefs, for the first time. As her spiritual search intensified, she made contact with the Jewish community and started attending synagogue. Four years later, she completed her Orthodox conversion to Judaism through the Melbourne Beth Din. Then she packed up all her possessions for the second time and set off for Jerusalem. In Israel, her once blocked creativity started flowing again and new, spiritual songs emerged. Within a year, she met and married her husband, Eitan, founder of Aleph Male.
Shira’s debut album was nominated for a South African Music Award (SAMA) in 2010. The album, Begin (meaning “Beginning”), consists of original songs in her mother tongue of Afrikaans and was released under her original name, ‘Gizelle’. It was nominated in the category ’Best Alternative Album in Afrikaans’.
Her upcoming new album, Journey, tells her story of hope, of searching and of finding. It’s a tale of coming home - to herself, to her bashert (soul mate), to her People and Land, and to her Creator. With inspiring words and uplifting melodies, Shira captivates and takes you along on a journey to a place where you once more feel the courage, the willingness to listen to your heart’s whisper and to follow your truth.
In her first single, “Aliyah Song”, Shira sings, in exuberant celebration, of the mysterious unfolding of making Aliyah and the glorious intensity of living in the Holy Land. Her next single, “Dance With Me” was written for Eitan, years before they met. It speaks of faithfulness, while searching for and waiting to meet your bashert.
Shira now lives with Eitan and their two sons, Baruch and Ilan, in Harish, Israel.