Sofi Tzdaka admits: "I made a sea of money, a ton of money"
Sofi Tzdaka looks back at the financial peak of her career and explains how the real profit mechanism for stars in Israel works, with six-figure contracts for just two weeks of work.
She was one of the biggest and most beloved stars in Israel in the early 2000s, conquering the screen in daily dramas, hosting on the Children's Channel, and performing on the biggest stages. But behind the glamour, the complex world of childhood, and the dramatic transition from leaving the Samaritan community to the heart of the Israeli consensus, Sofi Sara Tzdaka maintained a worldview that always leaned toward simplicity. In an interview with Bar Zaga, Tzdaka returns to the days when the entertainment industry moved huge sums, and explains how the real profit mechanism for stage performers in Israel works.
When asked about the financial peak periods of her career, Tzdaka does not get confused and does not try to embellish reality. She emphasizes:
"Back then I made a sea of money. A sea, really, a ton, a ton of money."
When Bar Zaga tries to understand what she made the large sums from, she clarifies that the main profits came from the stages: "Plays, children's plays, musicals. I'm talking to you about six-figure contracts. A week or two of work, six figures." Regarding his reaction that it is a crazy matter, she agrees and notes that "it was crazy, crazy, crazy."
Her meteoric breakthrough in 2001 as Rona, the main character in the iconic telenovela "Le-Chay Ha-Ahava" (To Love), made her almost overnight a household name. This success was quickly translated into huge demand in the market for children's plays, Festigals, and holiday shows. When Bar Zaga asks if there was a lot of money in the show, Tzdaka explains that there was money, but clarifies where the real economic engine of the industry is:
"There was a lot of money in 'Le-Chay Ha-Ahava' too. But if you and the viewers are very, very curious to know, the biggest money is found mainly during the holidays, which is Hanukkah, it's Independence Day. There it's just... I remember I could live off Hanukkah for two years."
Despite the significant sums that entered her bank account during her peak years, Tzdaka testifies that she never got carried away by displays of extravagance or a hedonistic lifestyle. Her roots and upbringing overcame the temptations of fame:
"Even when I had a lot of money and even when I had less money, I always lived the same way. No... always the same rented apartment. I never said 'Okay, now I have money, so now I'm going to splurge.' It was never there. Always, whether I had money or didn't have money, I bought at the same stores, at the same supermarket."
