Hailee Steinfeld was spotted recently at a popular Jerusalem restaurant in the Mahane Yehuda market with Transformers director Michael Bay and Israeli singer and television personality Noa Kirel.
It was the first visit to the Holy Land for the Oscar-nominated actress (True Grit) and multiplatinum recording artist who recently starred in the Transformers prequel Bumblebee.
Traveling in a group including her parents, Pete Steinfeld, who is Jewish, and Cheri Steinfeld, who is Christian, they started their trip with a dinner on the rooftop of the Aish HaTorah yeshiva overlooking the Western Wall. They were hosted by Aish CEO Rabbi Steven Burg and Jewish music superstar Rabbi Shlomo Katz, who, per his Facebook post, “discussed the centrality of music in the Holy Temple with Hailee and her family.”
They visited the Western Wall and Tunnels, the City of David, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Yad Vashem, and Shalva National Children’s Center. While the group visited the Shalva Center, Oscar-winning actor and singer Jamie Foxx posted Shalva’s Eurovision performance and praised them.
This group was also spotted riding ATVs near Jerusalem and visiting a winery, horseback riding and boating in the Galilee, camel riding in the Negev, floating in the Dead Sea, touring Caesarea, shopping in Jaffa and enjoying Tel Aviv’s night life.
Steinfeld, who will star as Emily Dickinson in the upcoming television series, Dickinson, is just one of many celebrity visitors to Israel this summer. Jennifer Lopez performed at Tel Aviv’s Park Hayarkon on Thursday night, and was accompanied on her visit by her fiancée, former Yankees superstar, Alex Rodriguez, aka A-Rod, and their children. Bon Jovi rocked Tel Aviv on July 25, while Madonna was here in May to appear at the Eurovision contest.
The Steinfeld group’s visit was coordinated by Traci Szymanski, in partnership with CharityBids. The trip was made possible by philanthropist and media mogul Haim Saban, and is one of several celebrity trips to Israel that will take place during the coming year.