Israeli writer, songwriter and translator Avi Koren passed away this evening (Thursday) at the age of 75. Koren is a former member of the Nahal band, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award and the ACUM Award, who in recent years has written a regular and popular section on Israel’s great cultural heroes. . In addition, he has been conducting a Hebrew hour of Hebrew song on 103FM radio for the past five years.
His partner, the singer Shula Chen, told Maariv: “I was privileged to live with a rare, talented and kind-hearted man. An exemplary father and grandfather and a loyal friend who touched so many people with his unique and human songs and writing. Like many in Israeli culture, I owe him a lot. A composer by grace, with over 500 songs and plays, but many who met him along the way also had a friend, a true friend, one who can always be said: ‘I really love my father!’ “
Koren was born Avinoam Kleinman in 1945 in Ramat Gan. His mother, Sarah nee Heimson, a native of Safed, was the eighth generation in the country, and his father, Jacob Kleinman, was born in Garbolin, Poland.
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He attended the Hasmonean elementary school and the Dvir Gymnasium and enlisted in the IDF in 1963 as part of the “Yahav” nucleus of Hashomer Hatzair, from where he was called to the Nahal band and joined the band in the middle of the “Sun in the Desert” program.
He then went on to perform on the show “For the Eighteenth Time,” where he also began to serve as the band’s commander. In the program “Mahanahal in Love” he met Shula Chen, the band’s star. The two married in 1967, and divorced about thirty years later. During his service in the band, he wrote with Yair Rosenblum, a member of the band, his first song “By the way”, which they performed “Southern Duo “.
Yair Rosenblum and Avi Koren (Photo: screenshot)Upon his release from the IDF in 1966, Koren was accepted to Kol Yisrael and was an editor, producer and presenter of entertainment and light music programs. In 1968 he moved to Gali Tzahal, where he served as editor, producer and presenter. The program “Night Birds Hosts” continued to be presented for many years even after he retired from the IDF.
Naomi Polani and Avi Koren (Photo: Private album)In 1976, he left for New York as an emissary for education and youth of the Jewish National Fund. Upon his return to Israel in 1978, he was called by Bank Hapoalim CEO Yaakov Levinson to serve as the bank’s advertising supervisor. Following Levinson’s suicide, he retired from the bank and served as spokesman and advertising manager for Mifal Hapayis.
In 1992, Koren joined the staff of the staff of the late Yitzhak Rabin. After his assassination and for twenty consecutive years (1995-2015), he held and moderated the memorial service of the Peace and Democracy Guards, in Rabin’s memory.
In 1993, he moved to Safed, where he conducted, among other things, the “Klezmer Festival” for six years.
Throughout the years he has written, translated, edited and performed, mostly alongside Shula Chen, in an evening called “All the Way Back.” Among his songs: “We Do Not Need” (music: S. Imberman) performed by Shlomo Artzi, “Come Home” (music: M. Gurian) performed by Shula Chen, “Peace” (music: J. Rosenblum) performed by the Nahal Band, “Spirit of Nonsense” (Composer: Shimon Cohen) performed by Yehoram Gaon, “Son without a House” performed by Avner Gadsi (and Zohar Argov), “In the Spring You Return” (Composer and lyrics originally: Charles Aznavour) performed by the Nahal Havi team, and more From 500 songs.
Among his works for the stage: “Pedem Pedem” – the story of Edith Piaf’s life and poems, “Behind the Fence” (according to Haim Nachman Bialik. In collaboration with Uri Paster), songs from the film “Five Five” and script (in collaboration with Shmuel Imberman), Guys and Dreams ( French side director, musical director Eldad Sharim) starring Eli Gurlitzky, Hannah Leslau, Sashi Keshet, Yardena Arazi and Shula Chen, who won the David Violin Award as the most successful entertainment event in Israel. “Kol Nidrei” (musical in collaboration with Lalo Shifrin), “Guys and Dreams”, “Alice”, “The Sounds of Music” (translation) (1995 Director: Menachem Golan, 2005 Director: Moshe Kaftan, 2013 Director: Arthur Kogan), “The Bands” Returning “,” Carlebach is alive “.
He also wrote links and Hebrew versions of Greek songs from the show “The Greek Experience” by the singer Nissim Elhanati and hosted the show in 2007, as well as links to the show “Real Girl Treasure” which Nissim Elhanati performed with the band “The Greek Experience” in 2008 in honor of the Greek singer Eris Sun. He also wrote the Chabad song – “Yiddishpiel” 2013 and “Lichtich Wei De Stern” (“Shining Stars”), which won the Israeli Theater Award for Entertainment of the Year in 2010, and “Better Later” (translation) (Library Theater ) 2013.
Moti Giladi, the late Manny Peer, the late Yehuda Barkan, the late Yigal Bashan and Avi Koren are coming to life (Photo: Facebook screenshot)In 2015, Koren was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by EMI for his contribution over the years.
At the end of 2016, he began publishing a personal column in the “Maariv Weekend” edition of “Maariv”, which became a regular and popular section called “That’s How We Were,” and dealt with the great cultural heroes of Israel. In addition, he has been conducting a Hebrew hour of Hebrew song on 103FM radio for the past five years.
In 2018, he won the Aharon Ashman ACUM Award for his contribution to Hebrew song and Israeli culture.
Maariv shares the family’s grief