Liran Kohener

Kohener was born in 1988 and grew up in Rishon LeZion.[1] She attended Amit Amal High School, where she studied biology and computers.[1] Following graduation, she served in the Israeli Air Force, after which she pursued academic studies in criminology at Bar-Ilan University.[1] She also enrolled in acting studies, laying the groundwork for a career that would eventually encompass both performance and public-facing media work.[1]

Kohener won the Miss Israel title in 2007 at the age of 18, at a pageant organized for the 57th time by the weekly magazine Laisha and held at Haifa's Congress Center, broadcast nationally.[2] At the time, she was awaiting military enlistment and expressed hopes of one day becoming a doctor or veterinarian, coming from a family that included physicians.[2] Her title carried obligations that included participating in the Miss Universe Contest.[2]

The circumstances of her entry into the competition were entirely accidental. She had been working at her uncle's falafel shop in the Ramat HaHayal neighborhood of Tel Aviv when casting personnel holding auditions nearby came in for lunch, noticed her, and invited her to audition.[3] Uncertain whether her father would approve, she was surprised when he consented after speaking with the judges — on the condition that she not commit herself or sign anything.[3] She learned she had been accepted into the competition only after returning from a trip to the United States with her grandparents, and she has since said she entered for the experience and a potential trip abroad, not expecting to win.[3]

After winning Miss Israel, Kohener moved into modeling, acting, and hosting. She hosted on Nickelodeon and appeared in two theatrical productions alongside Yuval Hamebulbal.[4] Her first acting role was in the youth series Ma BaKareish, and she later appeared in Nafalta Hazak, The Naor's Friends, and Chateau Ein Karem.[1] In 2023, she attended the premiere of the Israeli thriller series The Malevolent Bride alongside fellow former Miss Israel winner Shavit Wiesel and other models and actresses; the event reunited a circle of Israeli models and actresses described as old friends.[5]

Beyond entertainment, Kohener's professional life has been notably diverse. She worked in the diamond industry, studied gemology, worked in real estate, and served as a personal assistant at various points in her career.[4] She also became a partner in the clothing brand Toppatsu.[4] In a 2022 profile, she described leading L'Oréal Group's "For the Future" ambassador team, which she said she had established with 30 influencers to promote environmental responsibility and sustainability in cosmetics.[1]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kohener began creating online content centered on her home routine, finding that connecting with audiences without playing a character suited her.[6] She subsequently developed a venture called ERA, aimed at bringing her online community into face-to-face contact by hosting gatherings for women; nearly 80 women registered when she opened sign-ups.[6] At the time, her Instagram account had 257,000 followers, and she described her aim as allowing people to "see things through me."[6]

Kohener married businessman Guy Gior in September 2015.[1][6] The couple have three daughters: Shai Esther, born in August 2018; Ari Liana, born in February 2021; and Emi Leah, born in August 2024.[6][7]

Before her wedding, Kohener developed persistent twitching on the right side of her face.[1] After examinations, a specialist diagnosed the condition as hemifacial spasm caused by pressure on a nerve in her brain.[1] In 2016, she traveled to Pittsburgh for a five-hour surgery that involved opening her skull.[1] She reported that within 30 days she had returned to normal, and that the spasms did not recur.[1]

In a 2023 interview, Kohener described the Miss Israel pageant as an amazing experience and an inseparable part of her identity, while also expressing relief that the format had faded.[4] She argued that judging women solely on physical appearance no longer fit the cultural moment: "We are after #MeToo, and judging a woman only by her beauty simply isn't appropriate."[4] She credited the win with setting her on a professional path involving an agency, campaigns, modeling, and acting — though she noted that the entertainment industry was not originally what she had envisioned as her calling.[4]