Galia Yishai

{{Infobox person

| name = Galia Yishai

| native_name = גליה ישי

| native_name_lang = Hebrew

| image = Galyaportrait2.jpg

| caption = Yishai in 2016

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1950|05|17|df=y}}

| birth_place = Tel Aviv, Israel

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|01|04|1950|05|17|df=y}}

| death_place = Tel Aviv, Israel

| occupation = Actress

| years_active = 1966–2020

}}

Galia Yishai ({{langx|he|גליה ישי}}{{lrm}}; 17 May 1950 – 4 January 2020) was an Israeli actress of film, stage and television and singer. She began performing from the age of 16-and-a-half on the radio programme {{ill|First Returns|he|תשואות ראשונות}} and acted on stage at most of Israel's repertoire theatres such as the Habima Theatre, the Bimot Theatre, the Cameri Theater, Haifa Theatre and Beit Lessin Theater. Yishai acted in several film and television programmes from 1971 to her death in 2020.

Early life and education

On 17 May 1950,{{cite web|title=גליה ישי|trans-title=Galia Yishai|url=https://www.ishim.co.il/p.php?s=%D7%92%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%94+%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%99|publisher=Ishlim|language=he|access-date=12 February 2022|archive-date=26 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211226085713/https://www.ishim.co.il/p.php?s=%D7%92%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%94+%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%99|url-status=live}} Yishai was born in Tel Aviv. Her mother worked in advertising and her father was an Etzel fighter who co-established the Freedom Movement. Yishai had two siblings and grew up in Tel Aviv.{{cite news|last=Boker|first=Ran|title=69 השחקנית גליה ישי הלכה לעולמה בגיל|trans-title=Actress Galia Yishai passed away at the age of 69|url=https://www.ynet.co.il/entertainment/article/H1O7wxRkU|publisher=Ynet|language=he|date=4 January 2020|access-date=12 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200104182608/https://www.ynet.co.il/entertainment/article/H1O7wxRkU|archive-date=4 January 2020|url-status=dead}} Following her graduation from high school, she went to the Beit Zvi School for the Performing Arts.

Career

Yishai began her career at the age of 16-and-a-half when she earned acceptance to perform on the radio show {{ill|First Returns|he|תשואות ראשונות}} and performed a song in the programme's chorus troupe.{{cite news|title=השחקנית והזמרת גליה ישי הלכה לעולמה|trans-title=Actress and singer Galia Yishai has passed away|url=https://www.mako.co.il/culture-tv/Article-7ea880402507f61026.htm|publisher=Mako|language=he|date=4 January 2020|access-date=12 February 2022|archive-date=12 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212202256/https://www.mako.co.il/culture-tv/Article-7ea880402507f61026.htm|url-status=live}} She was a military graduate of the Central Command Band,{{cite news|last=Nun|first=Sadi Ben|title=השחקנית גליה ישי הלכה לעולמה בגיל 69|trans-title=Actress Galia Yishai passed away at the age of 69|url=https://e.walla.co.il/item/3333027|publisher=Walla!|language=he|date=4 January 2020|access-date=12 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200104170340/https://e.walla.co.il/item/3333027|archive-date=4 January 2020}} having spent three-and-a-half years there,{{cite news|last=Hayut|first=Aya|last2=Stern|first2=Itai|title=השחקנית והזמרת גליה ישי מתה בגיל 69|trans-title=Actress and singer Galia Yishai died at the age of 69|url=https://www.haaretz.co.il/gallery/television/.premium-1.8352695|work=Haaretz|language=he|date=4 January 2020|access-date=12 February 2022|archive-date=18 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210718073226/https://www.haaretz.co.il/gallery/television/.premium-1.8352695|url-status=live}} and performing in its {{ill|Come to Us in the Valley|he|רד אלינו לבקעה}} programme in 1969.{{cite news|last=Cohen|first=Maya|title=בגיל 69: נפטרה השחקנית גליה ישי|trans-title=At the age of 69: Actress Galia Yishai passed away|url=https://www.israelhayom.co.il/article/721437|work=Israel Hayom|language=he|date=4 January 2020|access-date=12 February 2022|archive-date=5 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200105082425/https://www.israelhayom.co.il/article/721437|url-status=live}} Yishai then continued to study acting at Tel Aviv University and in New York.

Upon being released from the Central Command troupe, Yishai joined the cast of the Habima Theatre.{{cite news|last=Erel|first=Yuval|title=השחקנית והזמרת גליה ישי הלכה לעולמה בגיל 69|trans-title=Actress and singer Galia Yishai passed away at the age of 69|url=https://yuvalerel.com/2020/01/04/%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%97%D7%A7%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%AA-%D7%95%D7%94%D7%96%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%AA-%D7%92%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%94-%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%99-%D7%94%D7%9C%D7%9B%D7%94-%D7%9C%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%9E%D7%94-%D7%91%D7%92/|publisher=Yuval Erel|language=he|date=4 January 2020|access-date=12 February 2022|archive-date=12 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212202306/https://yuvalerel.com/2020/01/04/%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%97%D7%A7%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%AA-%D7%95%D7%94%D7%96%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%AA-%D7%92%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%94-%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%99-%D7%94%D7%9C%D7%9B%D7%94-%D7%9C%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%9E%D7%94-%D7%91%D7%92/|url-status=live}} She also worked in most Israeli repertoire theatres, including with the Bimot Theatre, the Cameri Theater, Haifa Theatre and Beit Lessin Theater. Yishai had roles in such plays as {{Ill|Napoleon – alive or dead!|he|נפוליון – חי או מת!}}, Was a Graceful Man, The Crazy of Jaffa, Peer Gynt, Everything is Relative, Crazy those who are not crazy, Finance, All My Sons, Quo Vadis as well as the children's play Puss in Boots. In 1970, she joined the female Fourth Girls of the Theater Club troupe and performed alongside Hana Laszlo, Miki Kam and Adi Lev and also worked opposite her friend {{ill|Tzipi Mor|he|ציפי מור}}. Yishai also performed on stage in foreign countries such as France, Switzerland and the United States.{{Cite news|date=24 December 1986|title=גליה ישי: היורשת של ריקה זראי"|language=he|trans-title=Galia Yishai: Rika Zarai's Heiress|pages=21|work=Maariv|url=https://www.nli.org.il/en/newspapers/mar/1986/12/24/01/article/139/?srpos=2&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxTI-%22%d7%92%d7%9c%d7%99%d7%94+%d7%99%d7%a9%d7%99%22-------------1|access-date=13 February 2022|via=National Library of Israel|archive-date=23 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220223082605/https://www.nli.org.il/en/newspapers/mar/1986/12/24/01/article/139/?srpos=2&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%7CtxTI-%22%D7%92%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%94+%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%99%22-------------1|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|date=5 April 1990|title=Knox College group presents political play|pages=6|work=Quad-City Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94854876/knox-college-israeli-performing-group/|access-date=13 February 2022|via=Newspapers.com {{open access}}|archive-date=15 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220215000057/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94854876/knox-college-israeli-performing-group/|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last=Apikian|first=Nevart|date=14 April 1977|title=Israeli Visitors Show Musical Enthusiasm|page=7|work=The Post-Standard|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94854969/israeli-musical-group-the/|access-date=13 February 2022|via=Newspapers.com {{open access}}|archive-date=13 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213063643/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94854969/israeli-musical-group-the/|url-status=live}}

Yishai was a writer of songs,{{Cite news|date=1 February 1979|title=גליה ישי בדמות חושם|language=he|trans-title=Galia Yishai in the form of Moshem|pages=8|work=Maariv|url=https://www.nli.org.il/en/newspapers/mar/1979/02/01/01/article/266/?srpos=1&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxTI-%22%d7%92%d7%9c%d7%99%d7%94+%d7%99%d7%a9%d7%99%22-------------1|access-date=13 February 2022|via=National Library of Israel|archive-date=23 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220223082602/https://www.nli.org.il/en/newspapers/mar/1979/02/01/01/article/266/?srpos=1&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%7CtxTI-%22%D7%92%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%94+%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%99%22-------------1|url-status=live}} and was signed to the CBS Records International record label. She participated in the {{ill|1970 Israel Song Festival|he|פסטיבל הזמר והפזמון 1970}}, in the "Carousel" collection performing the song So Scattered. She performed in the centenary events of Ben-Gurion Day, won first prize performing the song Aya in the {{ill|Israeli Children's Song Festival|he|פסטיבל שירי הילדים}} and was at the Barby Club in Tel Aviv in 2005 as a stage rock singer. Yishai lent her voice as the narrator of classical music records for children such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, Richard Strauss and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and with the actor {{ill|Yossi Gerber|he|יוסי גרבר}}, was on the classical children's records Trip in the Land of the Notes, Tiff and Taff Numbers and Klesitaf. She authored a children's illustrated poet book, Ketesh Choshem, in 1979. Yishai was a member of the Israeli Artists' Association.

She also worked as an actress in both film and television. Yishai portrayed Naomi in the 1971 film {{ill|The Highway Queen|he|מלכת הכביש}}, Kinneret Kinneret in 1974 and {{ill|The Honey Knot|he|קשר הדבש}} in 1977. She and Mor were part of the programme Moment and Waves for several years. In 1981, Yishai played in {{ill|Am Yisrael Hai|he|עם ישראל חי}}, {{ill|Without Secrets|he|בלי סודות}} in 1984, had an appearance as herself in Rechov Sumsum in 1986, the educational role of Pingy in Parpar Nechmad in 1997, a member of the adoption committee in Ramat Aviv Gimel in the same year, in {{ill|The Good Guys (Israeli TV series)|lt=The Good Guys|he|החבר'ה הטובים (סדרת טלוויזיה)}} two years later, Crocodile Toffee in Sophie Toffee in 2001, in {{ill|Intensive Care (TV series)|lt=Intensive Care|he|טיפול נמרץ (סדרת טלוויזיה)}} in 2003, Tzila in The Heart of Amalia in 2005, the principal in Life is Not Everything the following year, {{ill|When Will We Kiss|he|מתי נתנשק}} and played the role of Yael in {{ill|Maybe This Time (Israeli TV series)|lt=Maybe This Time|he|אולי הפעם (תוכנית טלוויזיה)}} both in 2007, and portrayed the part of Yair's mother Five Men and a Wedding in 2008.

In 2009, she played the part of a witness in Weeping Susannah, Dina in {{ill|Room Service (Israeli TV series)|lt=Room Service|he|שירות חדרים (סדרת טלוויזיה)}} and Sigal Varicose Veins in {{ill|Kofiko|he|קופיקו}}. Yishai was cast as Mirabelle in {{ill|Gerushim Niflaim|he|גירושים נפלאים}} and as a teacher in {{ill|Kan Garim Bekef|he|כאן גרים בכיף}} in 2010, the mother of Avery in Srugim two years later, the school principal in Hunting Elephants in 2013, Ruthie Silesh in {{ill|HaKalmarim|he|הקלמרים}} in 2014 and as Celine in Inertia a year later. During 2016, she played the part of Dalia Metzger in {{ill|Irreversible (TV series)|lt=Irreversible|he|בלתי הפיך (סדרת טלוויזיה)}}, Dikla in {{Ill|Ikaron HaHachlafa|he|עקרון ההחלפה}}, Nehama Resnik in {{ill|Antenna (2016 film)|lt=Antenna|he|אנטנה (סרט)}} and was in {{ill|Tzomet Miller|he|צומת מילר (סדרת טלוויזיה)}}. Yishai played Smadar in {{ill|Haverot|he|חברות (סדרת טלוויזיה)}} and Light in The Good Cop in 2017. She went on to portray Eve in Kupa Rashit and in {{ill|HaMenatzeah|he|המנצח (סדרת טלוויזיה)}} both in 2018 as well as Yona in Metumtemet, Dalia Cassuto in {{ill|Kfula|he|כפולה}} and was in {{ill|BatEl HaBetula|he|בת אל הבתולה}} in 2019. Yishai's final two roles were as Ilana in {{ill|Morobot|he|מורובוט}} and was in The Great Special Thing both of which were broadcast in 2020.

Death

On 4 January 2020, aged 69, Yishai died at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center,{{cite news|last=Goldenberg-Stern|first=Liora|title=השחקנית גליה ישי הלכה לעולמה לאחר מאבק במחלה קשה|trans-title=Actress Galia Yishai passed away after a struggle with a serious illness|url=https://www.maariv.co.il/culture/Article-739083|work=Maariv|language=he|date=4 January 2020|access-date=12 February 2022|archive-date=27 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127165459/https://www.maariv.co.il/culture/Article-739083|url-status=live}} approximately one month after being diagnosed with cancer. Her funeral took place at Yarkon Cemetery in Petah Tikva on the afternoon of the following day.