Biography
Who is Yael Shelbia?
Early life and real name
Yael Shelbia was born on August 31, 2001, in Nahariya, Israel. She grew up in a dati leumi family with four brothers. Her mother worked as a librarian and real estate agent, while her father was a factory worker. She attended the Harel Ulpanat school.
She uses her middle name as her professional surname. This name was inherited from her Djerbian great-grandmother's family, which is of Mizrahi Jewish and Sephardi Jewish descent. During her education, her modeling career created discussions regarding religious studies and clothing modesty guidelines.
How Yael became famous
She began her career by uploading selfies to Instagram shortly before her sixteenth birthday. A professional photographer named Marina Moskowitz discovered these photos and offered her a photoshoot. This initial step launched her into professional modeling.
She subsequently secured modeling work with Israeli brands such as Castro starting in 2017 and Renuar starting in 2018. Her rapid success led to comparisons with other Israeli models like Shlomit Malka, Dorit Revelis, and Sofia Mechetner. In 2020, TC Candler named her the most beautiful woman in the world.
Career highlights
In 2018, she modelled for Kim Kardashian's brand KKW Beauty, with her photos chosen directly by Kim Kardashian. She was later chosen to lead Kylie Jenner's Biotic Skincare range in 2019. She also appeared on the August 2020 cover of the Bulgaria edition of Harper's Bazaar.
Transitioning into acting, she was cast in 2019 for a debut role in the teen adventure period drama series Palmach. The show is set in 1946 during the British Mandate and features a training base for exceptional teens. She stars in the series as the character Ruth Hirsch.
Military service and personal life
Unlike many religious Jewish girls in Israel who opt for civilian national service, she served as a soldier in the Israeli Air Force of the Israel Defense Forces starting in 2020. Her observance of Shabbat and kosher dietary laws occasionally created challenges during international modeling assignments.
Her personal life has included relationships with several public figures. From 2018 to 2019, she dated model Barak Shamir. She was then in a relationship with Brandon Korff from 2019 to 2022. In 2022, she began a relationship with singer Omer Adam, living briefly in Dubai before returning to Israel, and the couple separated in 2025.
Birthday and age
Yael Shelbia was born on August 31, 2001, which makes Yael 25 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Yael shares the date with 22 other famous people.
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