Naomi Shemer
Encyclopedia
Naomi Shemer was a leading Israeli songwriter hailed as the "first lady of Israeli song and poetry."
her parents had helped found, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee
. In the 1950s she served in the Israeli Defense Force's Nahal
entertainment troupe, and studied music at the Rubin Academy
in Jerusalem. She first married actor Gideon Shemer and had a daughter, Lali. They were later divorced; she went on to marry attorney Mordechai Horowitz, with whom she had a son, Ariel
.
in 2004, aged 73.
, and adapted well-known songs into Hebrew, such as the Beatles songs "Hey Jude
."
She composed in 1963 Hurshat Ha'Eucalyptus (The Eucalyptus Grove), a song that evokes Kvutzat Kinneret where she was born, and sung in a recent version by Ishtar
.
for Hebrew song (words and melody).
In 2005, she was voted the 6th-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.
Biography
Naomi Sapir was born on Kvutzat Kinneret, a kibbutzKibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
her parents had helped found, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee
Sea of Galilee
The Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias , is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately in circumference, about long, and wide. The lake has a total area of , and a maximum depth of approximately 43 m...
. In the 1950s she served in the Israeli Defense Force's Nahal
Nahal
Nahal is an Israel Defense Forces infantry brigade. Historically, it refers to a program that combines military service and establishment of new agricultural settlements, often in outlying areas...
entertainment troupe, and studied music at the Rubin Academy
Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance
The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance , founded in 1958 as the Rubin Academy of Music, is located on the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.-History:...
in Jerusalem. She first married actor Gideon Shemer and had a daughter, Lali. They were later divorced; she went on to marry attorney Mordechai Horowitz, with whom she had a son, Ariel
Ariel Horowitz
Ariel Horowitz is an Israeli Singer-Songwriter, and the son of the late Naomi Shemer, widely regarded as one of Israel's most important song writers. He released three albums: Yallah Bye , Renée and Menase Sefer ....
.
Death
Shemer continued to write and perform until her death. She died of cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 2004, aged 73.
Songwriting career
Shemer did her own songwriting and composing, set famous poems to music, such as those of the Israeli poet, RachelRachel Bluwstein
Sela was a Hebrew poet who immigrated to Palestine in 1909. She is known by her first name, Rachel, or as Rachel the poetess .-Biography:...
, and adapted well-known songs into Hebrew, such as the Beatles songs "Hey Jude
Hey Jude
"Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The ballad evolved from "Hey Jules", a song widely accepted as being written to comfort John Lennon's son, Julian, during his parents' divorce—although this explanation is not...
."
She composed in 1963 Hurshat Ha'Eucalyptus (The Eucalyptus Grove), a song that evokes Kvutzat Kinneret where she was born, and sung in a recent version by Ishtar
Ishtar
Ishtar is the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex. She is the counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna and to the cognate north-west Semitic goddess Astarte.-Characteristics:...
.
Awards
In 1983, Shemer received the Israel PrizeIsrael Prize
The 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 Hebrew song (words and melody).
In 2005, she was voted the 6th-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.
Works
- All My Songs (Almost), 1967, published by Yedioth AhronothYedioth AhronothYedioth Ahronoth is a daily newspaper published in Tel Aviv, Israel. Since the 1970s, it has been the most widely circulated paper in Israel. In a TGI survey comparing the last half of 2009 with the same period in 2008, Yedioth Ahronoth retained the title of most widely read newspaper in Israel...
| Tomorrow | On The Jordan | The White Town |
| A Chariot of Fire | Lights Out | Black Coffee |
| My Soldier is Back | Fields at Sunset | Green Meadows |
| Four Brothers | Soldiers En Route | A Song For Gideon |
| The Long Hike | The Builders' Love | Yesternight |
| Look For Me | Men At Work! | The Two of Us |
| We Are Starving! | In Such a Night | A Lament |
| An Umbrella For Two | The Clown | Just For You |
| My Dream House | Ophelia | Night on the Shore |
| Anniversary Song | The Spy-Girl | Answers |
| My Flute | A Serenade | A City in Grey |
| Twelve Months | Flowers, Herbs, Etc. | Jerusalem of Gold |
| A Short Walk | The Market Song | On Silver Wings |
| My Fathers Song | Night on the Park | Lullaby for Colors |
- The Second Book, copyright 1975, published by Lulav
Land of Lahadam Funny Faces For Children Land of Lahadam Beautiful People Rosh-Hashana Nachal in Sinai Sixteen Shlomit Maoz Tsur Mr. Narcissus Aleph-Beit The Sacrifice of Isaac The Witches When Adar Comes Giora A Special Lullaby Let's Say All We Pray For Shem, Cham, & Yefet I Have a Friend A Song is Born The Shark On the Move Things we Have Paranoid Summer Holiday Bethlehem Two Street-Photographers Tall Stories Why Did Michael Laugh How to Break a Chamsin Ruchama Yesh Li Chag It's Late Shalom Kitah Aleph To Sing Like a Jordan
- Number Three (Sefer Gimel), copyright 1982, published by Lulav
Songs Poems Imported Wine Children Everywhere Columns from Davar DavarDavar 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...Al Kol Eleh Omrim Yeshna Eretz Oifen Veg Stait a Bhoim Children Everywhere Shalom, Ida Nudel Good People Hoi Artzi Moladti Si Tous les Oiseaux Grapefruit Pardes-Hanna Shirat Ha'Asavim Come & Sing Le Testament Autumn It's Raining Cheveley Mashiach Kinneret La Non-Demande en Mariage Our Benjamin Yehuda Tapuach Bi'Dvash Begani Il n'y a pas d'Amour Heureux The Piano Vintage Days New Babylon Zemer Un Amour de Vingt Ans Yif'at Metai Les Souliers Tammuz Rachel O Imitoos Spring Parade Ki Sa'art Alai Sur le Chemin du Retour The Eighth Day The Third Mother Barbara Summer Your Lily-White Feet Dedication Noa A Lament Zamar Noded My Sudden Death Landmarks Let's go to the Field My Town in the Snow Lots of Love The party is Over Ein Davar El Borot Ha'Mayim
- Book Four (Sefer Arbah), copyright 1995, published by Shva Publishers
Uncategorized 6 Songs for Yehoram Gaon 11 Personal Belongings for Moshe Beker 5 Songs for Rivka Michaeli Rivka MichaeliRivka Michaeli is an Israeli actress, comedienne, television hostess, and entertainer.-Career:By age 14, she was singing on Israel Radio. Michaeli performed her military duties at the Army Radio. In the 1960s, her first show on stage was with Yossi Banai...Hebrew Versions 6 Children Songs Lyrics for Mattai Caspi's Music Light Kemo Katsav Personal Belongings Street Musicians Musica Chanuka Shulamit The Guest You Can't Beat Me Swan Girl Global Patrol Willow Songs Tu Bishvat Simchati We Aren't There Yet You're the Best Old Flame Not Bialik Ne Me Quitte Pas Pesach Farewll Ir Va'Em Good Morning Flower Never a Dull Moment One Little Kid My Mother's Portrait Libavtini Prelude Upside Down Noga Black Princess Sister The Bread of Love Roof After the Harvest Gai Summer White Strawberry The Flour Jar Time Pardes-Chana II September First I'm a Guitar To Light a Candle Your Sons From Afar Hal'ah Safed On the Boardwalk Shana Tova It's All Open Cafe Tiferet My Young Disaster Dancing
External links
- Obituary for Naomi Shemer
- Tikkun Toronto
- Basque Folk tune, inspiration for Jerusalem of Gold
- Saxon, Wolfgang. Naomi Shemer, 74, Poet and Composer, Dies, New York Times obituary, June 29, 2004 (retrieved January 26, 2010)
- Google celebrated Naomi Shemer’s 80th Birthday with special logotype