Naomi Shemer

Naomi Shemer (Hebrew :נעמי שמר; July 13, 1930-2004) was a leading Israeli songwriter hailed as the "first lady of Israeli song."

Biography

Naomi Shemer (Sapir) was born on Kvutzat Kinneret, a kibbutz 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 married Mordechai Horowitz and had two children, Lali and Ariel. Shemer continued to write and perform until her death. She died of cancer in 2004 at the age of 73.

Songwriting career

Shemer did her own songwriting and composing, set famous poems to music, such as those of the Israeli poet, Rachel, and adapted well-known songs into Hebrew, such as the Beatles songs "Hey Jude" and "Let it Be" ("Lu Yehi"). Shemer's songs have contributed significantly to Israeli culture. Several of Shemer's songs have the quality of anthems, striking deep national and emotional chords in the hearts of Israelis.

She composed in 1963 Hurshat Ha'Eucalyptus (The Eucalyptus Grove), a song that evokes Kvutzat Kinneret where she was born .

Her most famous song is "Yerushalayim shel zahav" ("Jerusalem of Gold"). She wrote it in 1967, before the Six Day War, and added another stanza after Israel captured East Jerusalem and regained access to the Western Wall. In 1968, Uri Avnery, then a member of the Israeli parliament, proposed that "Jerusalem of Gold" become the Israeli anthem. The proposal was rejected, but the nomination itself says something about the power of Shemer's songs.

Awards

In 1983, Shemer received the Israel Prize for Hebrew song (words and melody).

Works

All My Songs (Almost), 1967, published by Yedioth Ahronoth
The Second Book, copyright 1975, published by Lulav
Number Three (Sefer Gimel), copyright 1982, published by Lulav
Book Four (Sefer Arbah), copyright 1995, published by Shva Publishers

Translation

The phrase "Naomi Shemer" occurs as such in the following languages: English, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish.

Translation(s) in other languages: Czech: Naomi Šemer, German: Naomi Schemer, Hebrew: נעמי שמר, Japanese: ナオミ・シェメル, Russian: Шемер, Наоми.