Israeli actor and musician Ilai Chapman has shared an emotional and deeply personal moment with his followers, revealing that he experienced anxiety when his mother unexpectedly walked in while he was putting on tefillin.

In a video posted to Instagram, Chapman described the conflicting emotions he felt as he realized his mother was about to discover his growing connection to Yiddishkeit.

“My mother just caught me putting on tefillin, and that moment, I’m not going to lie, was accompanied by anxiety,” Chapman said.

He explained that he was still in the middle of davening when he heard his mother approaching.

“Suddenly, I felt myself getting a little nervous. There was this moment when I wondered, ‘What will she think? If she sees me, she’ll probably be shocked.'”

When his mother saw him wearing tefillin, Chapman said she appeared surprised.

“She saw me and made this face like, ‘Wow, what are you doing? What’s going on?'”

Despite his initial apprehension, the actor said the experience ultimately strengthened his determination to embrace his faith openly.

“But I have nothing to be ashamed of. It makes me feel good, it’s pleasant for me, it strengthens my connection to my faith. And I have nothing to be ashamed of. I’m happy it happened, very happy it happened.”

Chapman grew up in Kiryat Ono in a family with a strong academic background.

His father, Dr. Yoav Chapman, is a physician and department director at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, while his mother holds a doctorate in biology and works at a biological research institute.

His family also has prominent ties to Israeli public life. His maternal grandfather is author and professor Tzvi Luz, while his great-grandfather, Kadish Luz, served as Speaker of the Knesset and acting president of Israel.

Chapman began his entertainment career in 2019, appearing on a musical reality television program where he performed an original song that he later released as his debut single.

He subsequently expanded into acting and received a leading actor award for a youth television series in 2022.

Alongside his acting career, Chapman has continued pursuing music, releasing several singles and an album titled “I’m Still Alive” in May 2026.

In November 2025, Chapman survived a serious medical emergency while driving on a highway. He later described losing consciousness and experiencing temporary loss of vision and sensation in his arms and legs before managing to pull over and summon assistance.

Reflecting on that frightening experience, Chapman said it had changed his perspective on life and helped him appreciate it more deeply.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)