Shir Levy on his father, the late Ishay Levy: "We were estranged for six years, there is a sense of missed opportunity"
After a complex childhood away from his parents and years of no contact, Shir Levy had to say goodbye to his father, the late Ishay Levy, in the hospital. In a candid interview, he spoke about the sense of missed opportunity in their relationship, shared whether he managed to forgive his father, and addressed the estrangement from his widow: "We don't speak, we sat shiva separately."
The relationship between Shir Levy and his father, the late singer Ishay Levy, was marked by distance and complexity over the years, and for the last six years, the two were estranged. About two months after saying goodbye to his father, the singer's son joined Ofira Assayag for a one-on-one interview on the show 'Ofira and Ohana,' where he revisited the final moments by his father's side, shared the sense of missed opportunity regarding the years they were not in contact, and spoke about the 'correction' he seeks to make with his own children.
Even after two months, Shir still finds it hard to process the loss. "It hasn't fully sunk in yet, I don't speak about him in the past tense, but as if he is here," he shared. "Sometimes I see a video of him and my heart drops; it's hard to get used to this. I have taken it upon myself to sing one of his songs at every performance to commemorate his memory."
Recalling how he found out his father was in his final days, Shir said: "My brother called and said that Dad was in bad condition at the hospital and that I should come to say goodbye. I saw him in a difficult state, unconscious. As much as my brother prepared me, I was in shock. He didn't speak, but I sat with him and held his hand. I couldn't say anything; I was just shaking."
Despite the distance, being by his father's side stirred a deep sense of regret. "When I saw him, I thought: 'What was all the anger for? It's a shame about the missed family time, about my father not being with my children.' If he were sitting here now, I would want to sing with him, hug him, and tell him I love him. We didn't have a close relationship; I grew up with my grandparents, so there was always a distance."
Regarding forgiveness, Shir stated: "I forgive everything, and I ask for forgiveness if I hurt him. There is no anger; I realized that it was just unnecessary. I never judged him for not raising me."
Speaking about his children, Rotem and Noam, Shir emphasized: "I am making a very big correction. I am present in every respect, including emotionally. I go with them to plays, extracurricular activities, we eat pizza, and play soccer. Everything I didn't get from my parents."
Shir also spoke candidly about his past: "My whole life was a big escape. I tried things, but that's irrelevant now because I don't drink or touch drugs. I realized I was running away from myself and went to therapy. A child who grows up without his parents suffers mental damage. I grew up in a home of warmth with my grandparents, but there was always a feeling that something was wrong with me. I have learned to love and appreciate myself, and I am in a completely different place now."
Today, Shir is estranged from his father's widow, Iris. "We sat shiva separately," he said. "I will see her soon because her mother passed away, and I am going to comfort her and my brothers. I am a man of peace; I don't hold a grudge."
