Yael Shelbia

{{Infobox model

| image = Yael Shelbia (cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Shelbia in 2022

| birth_name = Yael Shelbia Cohen{{Cite web | url=https://fashionforward.mako.co.il/industry/itgirls/151951/ |title = מנהל האולפנה אמר לי: או שאת מפסיקה לדגמן או שאת עוזבת | Fashion Forward | אופנה|date = 2017-06-08}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|2001|08|31}}{{cite news |last1=Solny |first1=Shiryn |title=Shabbat-Observant Israeli Model Stars in New Kim Kardashian Makeup Ad |url=https://www.algemeiner.com/2018/07/27/shabbat-observant-israeli-model-stars-in-new-kim-kardashian-makeup-ad/ |access-date=12 September 2018 |publisher=The Algemeiner |date=27 July 2018}}

| birth_place = Nahariya, Israel

| height = 1.74 m

| haircolor = Dark-brown

| eyecolor = Cerulean (light-blue{{cite web | url=https://itmodels.co.il/yael-shelbia/ | title=Yael Shelbia | date=19 March 2020 }})

| agency = {{unbulletedlist|ITM (Israel)|Model Link (Sweden)|Elite (Miami, US)|Storm Model Management London (UK)|ModelWerk (Germany)|AddictedToModels (Austria)|Storm Model Management (Los Angeles, US)}}

| occupation = {{hlist|Model|actress}}

| partner = Brandon Korff (2019–2022)
Omer Adam (2022–present)

| yearsactive = 2016–present

| website = {{url|https://itmodels.co.il/yael-shelbia}}

|name=Yael Shelbia
יעל שלביה}} File:יעל_שלביה.jpg

Yael Shelbia Cohen ({{langx|he|יעל שלביה כהן}}; born {{birth date|df=yes|2001|08|31}}) is an Israeli model and actress. She has appeared in a number of international modeling campaigns. She became a leading model for Israeli brands Castro from 2017 and Renuar from 2018, and currently{{fact|date=March 2024}} stars in the Israeli television series Palmach on Teen Nick via yes.

Early life

She uses her middle name Shelbia as her professional surname, which was inherited from her Djerbian great-grandmother's family that is of both Mizrahi Jewish and Sephardi Jewish (Tunisian-Jewish) descent. She began by uploading selfies she took by herself on Instagram shortly before her 16th birthday. As a result of finding her photos on her Instagram account, she later received an offer to take photos from the professional photographer Marina Moskowitz.

She has received additional media attention due to her Orthodox Jewish background, as she keeps Kosher and observes Shabbat, which initially had led to controversy in Shelbia's Orthodox Jewish religious community; back in her native Israel.[http://www.israelhayom.co.il/article/545719 "I got a gift from God, I do not have to apologize"] Israel Hayom, by Hagit Rabinovich, 29.03.2018[https://www.yediot.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5005890,00.html From the Tel Aviv municipality to the Dior campaign], 21.08.2017, Shir-Li Golan, Yedioth Ahronoth

As of 2020, Shelbia has served as a soldier in the Israeli Air Force of the Israel Defense Forces,{{cite web |date=23 July 2020 |title=Yael Shelby lost the recruiter |url=https://www.mako.co.il/entertainment-celebs/local-2020/Article-853046ea9db7371026.htm |website=www.mako.co.il}} rather than serving in the Sherut Leumi as a civilian. The latter is what most religious Jewish girls in Israel opt to do.

Career

Her fashion modeling soon led to controversy and opposition in her Ulpana school, which threatened to send a letter to the Israeli Education Ministry to expel her. Her family however, had been supportive of her career, so long as it would not interfere with her religious studies. And after consultation with Israel's Education Ministry, she was allowed to continue her studies on condition of following certain guidelines. However, combining a modeling career with a religious lifestyle, has led to difficulties, including in terms of modesty of clothing. During a modeling campaign in Milan, she had to live on crackers for four days, as she could not find kosher food.[https://fashionforward.mako.co.il/industry/itgirls/151951 The headmaster told me: Either you stop modeling or you leave] By Shimon Ifergan, 8 June 2017, Mako She says she had lost many modeling contracts back then, due to her keeping of the Sabbath and choices in clothing.

The speed of the success of her career both in Europe and Israel, has led to comparisons to fellow Israeli models Shlomit Malka, Dorit Revelis and Sofia Mechetner.

In 2018, she modelled for Kim Kardashian's brand KKW Beauty, where her photos were chosen by Kim Kardashian.[http://www.israelhayom.co.il/article/574385 Religious model Yael Shelbia in Kim Kardashian's campaign] 25.07.2018, Israel Hayom In 2019, Shelbia was chosen to lead Kylie Jenner's Biotic Skincare range.[https://www.israelhayom.co.il/article/642035 Yael Shelbia will lead Kylie Jenner's biotic campaign] Israel Hayom, 18 March 2019

Also in 2019, she was cast for her debut acting role in a television series about the real-life Israeli Palmach forces.{{cite web | url=https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5591926,00.html | title="יש לי באינסטגרם הודעות מ־30 איש שהיו יכולים להרים לי את הקריירה, אבל הם לא עניינו אותי, כי הם לא יהודים" | date=18 September 2019 }} It is a teen adventure period drama series set in 1946, two pivotal years before the State of Israel was founded. A seemingly innocent training farm secretly functions as a Strike Forces (also known as Palmach) training base and recruitment center for exceptional teens, as well as a home-base for illegal Jewish immigration missions and special ops against the British Mandate. The show debuted in 2020, and Shelbia stars as Ruth Hirsch.

Shelbia appeared on the August 2020 cover of the Bulgaria edition of fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar.{{cite news |title=Israeli model Yael Shelbia featured on cover of Harper's Bazaar |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-714653 |access-date=27 December 2024 |work=Jerusalem Post |date=2022-08-14}}

In 2020, the magazine TC Candler named Shelbia the most beautiful woman in the world. Shelbia previously appeared on the list's rankings in 2017, 2018, and 2019.{{cite news |last1=Mograbi-Kobni |first1=Ziva |title=Israeli model ranked world's most beautiful woman |url=https://www.jns.org/israeli-model-ranked-worlds-most-beautiful-woman/ |access-date=27 December 2024 |work=Jewish News Syndicate |date=2020-12-29}}

Personal life

In 2019, she began dating American businessman Brandon Korff (son of Rabbi Yitzhak Aharon Korff, and grandson of billionaire Sumner Redstone).{{Cite web | url=https://pplus.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5515530,00.html |title = בלי סודות: יעל שלביה מנשקת את החבר באמצע הרחוב|date = 2019-05-29}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/business/media/sumner-redstone-saga.html | title=Inside the Battle for Sumner Redstone's $40 Billion Media Empire| newspaper=The New York Times| date=2016-06-02| last1=Steel| first1=Emily}}{{Cite web|url = https://heavy.com/entertainment/2018/07/shari-redstone/|title = Shari Redstone: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know|date = 2018-07-27|access-date = 30 May 2019|archive-date = 9 March 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210309032353/https://heavy.com/entertainment/2018/07/shari-redstone/|url-status = dead}}

In 2022, she began dating American-born Israeli singer Omer Adam.{{Cite web | title=כעת זה רשמי: עומר אדם ויעל שלביה בתמונה זוגית ראשונה | url=https://www.israelhayom.co.il/celebrities/local-celebrities/article/10945348 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220515115727/https://www.israelhayom.co.il/celebrities/local-celebrities/article/10945348 | access-date=2025-01-03 | archive-date=2022-05-15}}