Ofira Henig

Ofira Henig was born in 1960 in Ruhama

Ofira Henig was born in 1960 on Kibbutz Ruhama, the third child of Nathan Henig and Bessie Henig. Her mother taught rhythmics. In 1962 the family moved to Holon, where she grew up.

After her army service she spent time in Europe, and a trip to Berlin drew her to theatre. She studied directing at the Kibbutz College in Tel Aviv and graduated in 1986.

She began directing at Beit Zvi, with plays such as Equus, and then served as a director at Habima Theatre. She was artistic director of the Khan Theatre in Jerusalem and later of the Israel Festival and The Laboratory. In 2006 she staged In Spitting Distance by Taher Najib with Khalifa Natour, which toured abroad.

She led the Herzliya Theater Ensemble and resigned in 2011 after being asked to change its artistic line. In 2015 she became head of the directing department at Tel Aviv University. Her 2016 work Manmaro deals with Syrian refugees.