Ephraim Kishon
Encyclopedia
was an Israel
i author, dramatist, screenwriter
, and film director
. He is one of the most widely-read contemporary satirist
s in the world.
, Hungary. In his youth he did not know Hebrew nor Yiddish. His father worked as a bank manager and his mother was a secretary. Kishon also had a sister who was a writer.
His writing talent was evident in his youth. In 1940 he won his first prize for writing a novel for high school students. Due to the racial laws applied in Hungary during World War II, he was not allowed to continue his studies at the university and therefore he began to study jewelry making in 1942.
During World War II
the Nazis
imprisoned him in several concentration camps
. At one camp his chess
talent helped him survive, as the camp commandant was looking for an opponent. In another camp, the Germans lined up the inmates and shot every tenth person, but passed him by. He later wrote in his book The Scapegoat, "They made a mistake—they left one satirist alive. He eventually managed to escape the concentration camps while being transported to the Sobibor extermination camp
in Poland, and hid the remainder of the war disguised as "Stanko Andras", a Slovakia
n laborer.
After the war when he returned to Budapest he discovered that his parents and sister survived, but many other family members were murdered in the gas chambers
at Auschwitz.
In 1945, he changed his surname from Hoffmann to Kishont to disguise his Jewish origins, and returned to Hungary, where he continued to study art and write.
In 1948 he completed his studies in metal sculpturing and art history and began publishing humorous articles under the name Franz Kishunt.
In 1949 he immigrated
to the newly founded state of Israel, together with his first wife Eva (Chawa) Klamer, to escape the Communist
regime. When arriving in Israel an immigration officer officially Hebraicized his name to "Ephraim Kishon". According to the Kishon, the Jewish Agency clerk asked him for his name and when he answered "Ferenc" the clerk said: There is no such thing, and wrote "Ephraim", and afterwards he went ahead and Hebraicized his family name as well.
, in which he worked as a male nurse while during his free time he learned the Hebrew language with the help of his neighbor Joseph Bilitzer. During this period he wrote several humorous lists for the Hungarian newspaper "Új Kelet". Afterwards Kishon moved to a housing project. He studied Hebrew at the Ulpan "Etzion" in Jerusalem, and soon became a proficient in the language. Nevertheless, his heavy Hungarian accent accompanied him throughout his life.
Mastering Hebrew
with remarkable speed, in 1951 Kishon began writing a satirical column in the easy-Hebrew daily, Omer, after only two years in the country. later on Kishon began writing for the newspaper "Davar
" (which was very influential at the time) in which he published a satire called "Blaumilch Canal
". That same year he published his first book in Israel "Ha-ole ve Ha-Yored le-Chayenu" which was written in Hungarian
and translated into Hebrew by Avigdor Meiri. The book was mostly about the life experiences of new immigrants in Israel during the 1950s.
In 1952 Kishon began writing a regular satirical column
called "Had Gadya" in the daily Hebrew tabloid "Ma'ariv". Kishon kept writing the column for about 30 years, while in the first two decades he published a new column almost every day.
Within a few years after launching his writing career in Israel Kishon became one of the most prominent humorists and satirists in the country.
and its aftermath, So Sorry We Won (1967), and Woe to the Victors (1969). Two collections of his plays have also appeared in Hebrew: Shemo Holekh Lefanav (1953) and Ma´arkhonim (1959).
Kishon's books have been translated into 37 languages and sold particularly well in Germany. Kishon rejected the idea of universal guilt for the Holocaust. He said: “It gives me great satisfaction to see the grandchildren of my executioners queuing up to buy my books.” Until his death in 1979, Friedrich Torberg
translated his work into German. Thereafter Kishon did the German translations himself.
Kishon died on January 29, 2005 at his home in Switzerland at the age of 80 following a cardiac arrest
. His body was flown to Israel and he was buried at the Trumpeldor cemetery
in Tel Aviv.
. In 1959, he married Sara
(née Lipovitz), who died in 2002. In 2003, he married the Austrian writer Lisa Witasek. Kishon had three children: Raphael (b. 1957), Amir (b. 1963), and Renana (b. 1968).
In 1981, Kishon established a second home in the rural Swiss
canton of Appenzell
after feeling unappreciated in Israel, but remained a staunch Zionist.
. In 1990, German chess computer manufacturer Hegener & Glaser together with Fidelity produced the Kishon Chesster, a chess computer distinguished by the spoken comments it would make during a game. Kishon wrote the comments to be humorous, but were also carefully chosen to be relevant to chess and the position in the game.
Kishon's sketches and plays have been performed, in translation, on stages and television networks worldwide.
Kishon was nominated twice for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
and three times for a Golden Globe Award. He won two Golden Globe Best Foreign Language Film Awards, for Sallah Shabati (1964), and The Policeman
(1971).
In 2005, he was voted the 21st-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet
to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i author, dramatist, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
. He is one of the most widely-read contemporary satirist
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
s in the world.
Early life and World War II
Ephraim Kishon was born on August 23, 1924 by the name of Ferenc Hoffmann into a middle-class Jewish family in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary. In his youth he did not know Hebrew nor Yiddish. His father worked as a bank manager and his mother was a secretary. Kishon also had a sister who was a writer.
His writing talent was evident in his youth. In 1940 he won his first prize for writing a novel for high school students. Due to the racial laws applied in Hungary during World War II, he was not allowed to continue his studies at the university and therefore he began to study jewelry making in 1942.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
imprisoned him in several concentration camps
Nazi concentration camps
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...
. At one camp his chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
talent helped him survive, as the camp commandant was looking for an opponent. In another camp, the Germans lined up the inmates and shot every tenth person, but passed him by. He later wrote in his book The Scapegoat, "They made a mistake—they left one satirist alive. He eventually managed to escape the concentration camps while being transported to the Sobibor extermination camp
Sobibór extermination camp
Sobibor was a Nazi German extermination camp located on the outskirts of the town of Sobibór, Lublin Voivodeship of occupied Poland as part of Operation Reinhard; the official German name was SS-Sonderkommando Sobibor...
in Poland, and hid the remainder of the war disguised as "Stanko Andras", a Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
n laborer.
After the war when he returned to Budapest he discovered that his parents and sister survived, but many other family members were murdered in the gas chambers
Gas Chambers
Gas Chambers is a fast, hollow and shallow point break type of wave. Being that it is a high performance wave it is well suited for the average to pro level surfer. Gas Chambers is located on the North Shore of Oahu about a 1/4 of a mile north of Ehukai Beach Park and 1/2 a mile west of Sunset...
at Auschwitz.
In 1945, he changed his surname from Hoffmann to Kishont to disguise his Jewish origins, and returned to Hungary, where he continued to study art and write.
In 1948 he completed his studies in metal sculpturing and art history and began publishing humorous articles under the name Franz Kishunt.
In 1949 he immigrated
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
to the newly founded state of Israel, together with his first wife Eva (Chawa) Klamer, to escape the Communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
regime. When arriving in Israel an immigration officer officially Hebraicized his name to "Ephraim Kishon". According to the Kishon, the Jewish Agency clerk asked him for his name and when he answered "Ferenc" the clerk said: There is no such thing, and wrote "Ephraim", and afterwards he went ahead and Hebraicized his family name as well.
Early career in the Israeli press
Kishon initially lived in the "Sha'ar Ha'Aliyah" transit camp near Haifa, and soon afterwards moved to Kibbutz Kfar HahoreshKfar HaHoresh
Kfar HaHoresh is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located near Nazareth, it falls under the jurisdiction of Jezreel Valley Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 423....
, in which he worked as a male nurse while during his free time he learned the Hebrew language with the help of his neighbor Joseph Bilitzer. During this period he wrote several humorous lists for the Hungarian newspaper "Új Kelet". Afterwards Kishon moved to a housing project. He studied Hebrew at the Ulpan "Etzion" in Jerusalem, and soon became a proficient in the language. Nevertheless, his heavy Hungarian accent accompanied him throughout his life.
Mastering Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
with remarkable speed, in 1951 Kishon began writing a satirical column in the easy-Hebrew daily, Omer, after only two years in the country. later on Kishon began writing for the newspaper "Davar
Davar
Davar was a Hebrew-language daily newspaper published in the Mandate Palestine and Israel between 1925 and May 1996.-History:Davar was established by Moshe Beilinson and Berl Katznelson, with Katznelson as its first editor. The first edition was published on 1 June 1925 under the name Davar - Iton...
" (which was very influential at the time) in which he published a satire called "Blaumilch Canal
Blaumilch Canal
Blaumilch Canal is a 1969 Israeli comedy directed by Ephraim Kishon, which depicts the madness of bureaucracy through a municipality’s reaction to the actions of a lunatic....
". That same year he published his first book in Israel "Ha-ole ve Ha-Yored le-Chayenu" which was written in Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
and translated into Hebrew by Avigdor Meiri. The book was mostly about the life experiences of new immigrants in Israel during the 1950s.
In 1952 Kishon began writing a regular satirical column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
called "Had Gadya" in the daily Hebrew tabloid "Ma'ariv". Kishon kept writing the column for about 30 years, while in the first two decades he published a new column almost every day.
Within a few years after launching his writing career in Israel Kishon became one of the most prominent humorists and satirists in the country.
1960s until his death
Kishon's extraordinary linguistic inventiveness and flair for creating characters was carried over into his work for the theater. Collections of his humorous writings have appeared in Hebrew and in translation. Among the English translations are Look Back Mrs. Lot (1960), Noah's Ark, Tourist Class (1962), The Seasick Whale (1965), and two books on the Six-Day WarSix-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
and its aftermath, So Sorry We Won (1967), and Woe to the Victors (1969). Two collections of his plays have also appeared in Hebrew: Shemo Holekh Lefanav (1953) and Ma´arkhonim (1959).
Kishon's books have been translated into 37 languages and sold particularly well in Germany. Kishon rejected the idea of universal guilt for the Holocaust. He said: “It gives me great satisfaction to see the grandchildren of my executioners queuing up to buy my books.” Until his death in 1979, Friedrich Torberg
Friedrich Torberg
Friedrich Torberg is the pen-name of Friedrich Kantor, an Austrian writer.- Biography :...
translated his work into German. Thereafter Kishon did the German translations himself.
Kishon died on January 29, 2005 at his home in Switzerland at the age of 80 following a cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
. His body was flown to Israel and he was buried at the Trumpeldor cemetery
Trumpeldor cemetery
Trumpeldor cemetery , often referred to as the "Old Cemetery," is a historic cemetery on Trumpeldor Street in Tel Aviv, Israel. The cemetery covers 10.6 acres, and contains approximately 5,000 graves.-History:...
in Tel Aviv.
Personal life
His first marriage to Eva (Chawa) Klamer in 1946 ended in divorceDivorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
. In 1959, he married Sara
Sara Kishon
Sara Kishon was a pianist, art collector, and the wife of the Israeli author and satirist Ephraim Kishon.-Biography:Sara was a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York with a Master's in Music and Piano....
(née Lipovitz), who died in 2002. In 2003, he married the Austrian writer Lisa Witasek. Kishon had three children: Raphael (b. 1957), Amir (b. 1963), and Renana (b. 1968).
In 1981, Kishon established a second home in the rural Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
canton of Appenzell
Appenzell
Appenzell is a region and historical canton in the northeast of Switzerland, entirely surrounded by the Canton of St. Gallen....
after feeling unappreciated in Israel, but remained a staunch Zionist.
Chess
Kishon was a life-long chess enthusiast, and took an early interest in chess-playing computersComputer chess
Computer chess is computer architecture encompassing hardware and software capable of playing chess autonomously without human guidance. Computer chess acts as solo entertainment , as aids to chess analysis, for computer chess competitions, and as research to provide insights into human...
. In 1990, German chess computer manufacturer Hegener & Glaser together with Fidelity produced the Kishon Chesster, a chess computer distinguished by the spoken comments it would make during a game. Kishon wrote the comments to be humorous, but were also carefully chosen to be relevant to chess and the position in the game.
Books
- Ha-ole ve Ha-Yored le-Chayenu (1951)
- Thousand of Gadia and Gadia (1954)
- Ein Kamonim (1955)
- Do not worry (1957)
- Skeches (1957)
- It's all depends (1958)
- Be-Echad Ha-Emeshim (1961)
- He and She (1963)
- Somersaults (1964)
- Bone in the throat (1966)
- Sorry we won (1967)
- Gomzim Gomzim (1969)
- For (1970)
- Oh, winners (1970)
- Department of Ephraim Kishon (1972)
- Wole in the screen (1973)
- Partachia my love (1974)
- Smile drought (1978)
- Family Book (1980–current)
- Jonathan voyage (1981) children books
- The cup is ours (1981) children books
- Uncles on the wires (1981) children books
- Unfinished adventure (1981) children books
- Gum with stripes (1981) children books
- Seven Comedies (1981)
- Satire book I (1981)
- Arbinkea (1991)
- Satire book II (1991)
- Satire book III (1992)
- 58 Skeches (1995)
- Ants war (1995) children books
- Hercules and the seven midgets (1995) children books
- The Taming of the Shrew dog (1995) children books
- Hairy, hell (1998)
- state protocol (1999)
- The redhead with key (2002) children books
- Book of Travels (2003)
- Partachia (2004)
- Picasso's sweet revenge (2004)
Plays
- His reputation precedes him (1953)
- Black on White (1957)
- Ha-Ketubbah (1959)
- No word to Morgenstein (1960)
- Take the plug out (1968)
- Oh, oh, Juliet (1972)
- Salah Shabati the musical (1988)
- Open for renovation (2004) not yet seen
- The Policeman (2009)
Kishon's sketches and plays have been performed, in translation, on stages and television networks worldwide.
Films
Kishon expanded into cinema in the early 1960s. He wrote, directed and produced five feature films (all of them comedic /satirical movies). Three movies were nominated for major international awards (The Golden Globe award), two were nominated for the Oscar:- Sallah ShabatiSallah ShabatiSallah Shabati is a 1964 Israeli comedy film about the chaos of Israeli immigration and resettlement. This social satire placed the director Ephraim Kishon and producer Menahem Golan among the first Israeli filmmakers to achieve international success...
(1964), nominated for Oscar for best foreign language film). Israeli comedy film about the chaos of Israeli immigration and resettlement. This social satire placed the director Ephraim Kishon among the first Israeli filmmakers to achieve international success. It also introduced actor Chaim Topol (Fiddler on the Roof) to audiences worldwide. - ErvinkaErvinkaErvinka is a 1967 Israeli film written and directed by Ephraim Kishon. The film, starring Chaim Topol is a comical tale of a con man who falls in love with a police officer.-Plot:...
(1967) is an Israeli film written and directed by Ephraim Kishon. The film, starring Chaim Topol (best known for his role from Fiddler on the Roof) is a comical tale of a con man who falls in love with a police officer. - Blaumilch CanalBlaumilch CanalBlaumilch Canal is a 1969 Israeli comedy directed by Ephraim Kishon, which depicts the madness of bureaucracy through a municipality’s reaction to the actions of a lunatic....
, also known as The Big Dig (1969, nominated for Golden Globe 1971). Israeli comedy which depicts the madness of bureaucracy through a municipality’s reaction to the actions of a lunatic. - Ha-Shoter Azoulay (literally, Constable Azoulay), also known as The PolicemanThe PolicemanThe Policeman is the international release title of a 1971 Israeli feature film, written and directed by satirist Ephraim Kishon. Its Hebrew title is HaShoter Azoulay . The title character is played by Shaike Ophir The Policeman is the international release title of a 1971 Israeli feature film,...
(1971, nominated for Oscar for best foreign language film, awarded 1972 Golden Globe for best foreign language film) . It won several other awards, such as best foreign film in the Barcelona film festival and best director in the Monte Carlo festival. In Israel it is considered a cinematic classic. - The Fox in the Chicken CoopThe Fox in the Chicken CoopBased on Ephraim Kishon’s satirical book by the same name, The Fox in the Chicken Coop is a 1978 Israeli film directed by Kishon. It features many prominent Israeli actors of the time, most notably Shaike Ophir and Seffy Rivlin...
(1978) Based on Ephraim Kishon’s satirical book by the same name, The Fox in the Chicken Coop (Hebrew: Ha Shu'al B'Lool Hatarnegolot). It features many prominent Israeli actors of the time, most notably Shaike Ophir and Seffy Rivlin. The film takes a satirical, comic look at the old generation of Israeli politicians.
Awards
- In 1953, Kishon won the Nordau Prize for Literature;
- In 1958, he won the Sokolov Prize for JournalismSokolov AwardThe Sokolov Prize is an Israeli journalism award, awarded by the Tel Aviv municipality, in memory of Nahum Sokolow.The award has been granted since 1956, initially to outstanding print journalists and since 1981 to journalists from the electronic media...
; - In 1964, he won the Kinor David Prize;
- In 1998, he was the co-recipient (jointly with Nurit Guvrin and Aryeh Sivan) of the Bialik PrizeBialik PrizeThe Bialik Prize is an annual literary award given by the municipality of Tel Aviv, Israel for significant accomplishments in Hebrew literature. The prize is named in memory of Hayyim Nahman Bialik. There are two separate prizes, one specifically for "Literature", which is in the field of fiction,...
for literatureHebrew literatureHebrew literature consists of ancient, medieval, and modern writings in the Hebrew language. It is one of the primary forms of Jewish literature, though there have been cases of literature written in Hebrew by non-Jews...
; - In 2002, he was awarded the Israel PrizeIsrael PrizeThe Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
for lifetime achievement & special contribution to society and the State of Israel. Upon receiving the prize, he remarked: "I've won the Israel Prize, even though I'm pro-Israel. It's almost like a state pardon. They usually give it to one of those liberals who love the Palestinians and hate the settlers."
Kishon was nominated twice for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
and three times for a Golden Globe Award. He won two Golden Globe Best Foreign Language Film Awards, for Sallah Shabati (1964), and The Policeman
The Policeman
The Policeman is the international release title of a 1971 Israeli feature film, written and directed by satirist Ephraim Kishon. Its Hebrew title is HaShoter Azoulay . The title character is played by Shaike Ophir The Policeman is the international release title of a 1971 Israeli feature film,...
(1971).
In 2005, he was voted the 21st-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet
Ynet
Ynet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.
See also
- List of Israel Prize recipients
- List of Bialik Prize recipientsBialik PrizeThe Bialik Prize is an annual literary award given by the municipality of Tel Aviv, Israel for significant accomplishments in Hebrew literature. The prize is named in memory of Hayyim Nahman Bialik. There are two separate prizes, one specifically for "Literature", which is in the field of fiction,...
- Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film#1960s.