Gil Ofarim

Ofarim is the first child of Israeli musician Abi Ofarim (1937–2018) and his third wife Sandra. He has a younger brother, Tal, a musician, who was born in 1984. Gil speaks German, Hebrew and English. He sings in English and German.

Ofarim's showbiz career took off in May 1997 when he was spotted in a Munich underground station by a talent scout for Bravo magazine and was asked to do a pictorial story spread. The article generated thousands of letters from fans and he landed a recording contract with BMG. His first single "Round 'n' Round (It Goes)" was released in November 1997 and became a top 40 hit in Germany. Ofarim' debut album Here I Am was released to international success in May 1998.[http://www.yongsi.com/gil] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211154835/http://www.yongsi.com/gil/ |date=11 February 2021 }} Gil Ofarim fan site. URL referenced 27 August 2007.

File:Gil Ofarim.jpg in 2004.]]

After several other successful singles, Ofarim became increasingly disenchanted with being a teen idol. His 2003 album On My Own, released on Neotone Records, showcased his move in a different musical direction, taking his work further into the pop rock and adult contemporary genres.{{cite web|first=Horst|last=Stellmacher|url=https://www.express.de/news/promi-und-show/gil-ofarim--ich-habe-jon-bon-jovi-wuest-beschimpft---36770472|title=Gil Ofarim: "Ich habe Jon Bon Jovi wüst beschimpft"|website=express.de|date=4 June 2020|accessdate=16 June 2020}} While the album failed to chart, it produced the single "The Reason" and led to a stint as Bon Jovi's opening act on the German leg of their Bounce Tour. In 2004, Ofarim ventured into acting when he co-starred in the ProSieben coming-of-age film Endlich Sex! alongside Jasmin Schwiers. In it, he played musician Christoph, the love interest of lead role Saskia. The film was broadcast to moderate ratings but was largely panned by critics.{{cite web|first=Thomas|last=Gehringer|url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/gesellschaft/medien/endlich-sex/502480.html|title=Der "Bravo"-Fotoroman funktioniert auch als Pro-7-Komödie|website=tagesspiegel.de|date=25 March 2004|accessdate=16 June 2020}} Ofarim performed several songs in Endlich Sex!, including "In Your Eyes" which was released by Neotone as a single in March 2004.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.de/Your-Eyes-Gil-Ofarim/dp/B015QTQTV8|title=In Your Eyes – Single|website=amazon.de|accessdate=16 June 2020}}

Starting in 2005, Ofarim became the lead singer of the rock band Zoo Army, also consisting of his brother Tal, Roland Söns and Dominik Scholz. They released their first single "I'm Alive" and their debut album 507 in the first half of 2006. The same year, he had a supporting role in the RTL two-part television drama film {{Ill|Storm Tide (2006 film)|de|3=Die Sturmflut|lt=Storm Tide}}, a fictionalized ensemble story depicting the events surrounding the North Sea flood of 1962. Starring a roster of bankable television actors such as Jan Josef Liefers and Götz George, the film earned largely favorable reviews and strong ratings.{{cite web|url=http://www.tittelbach.tv/programm/mehrteiler/artikel-1622.html|title=Mehrteiler "Die Sturmflut"|website=tittelbach.tv|accessdate=16 June 2020}} Also in 2016, Ofarim played the lead role in the American b movie Strip Mind, which opened in Germany on 3 January 2007. The psychological thriller was largely panned by critics who criticized its casting, pacing and the "horrible" synchronization.{{cite web|url=https://www.kino.de/film/strip-mind-2006/|title=Strip Mind|website=kino.de|accessdate=16 June 2020}} The following year, Disney consulted him to record "So nah," the German version of Jon McLaughlin's "So Close" from the musical fantasy film Enchanted (2007) as well as "Mehr als du seh’n kannst," a re-written version of Rufus Wainwright's "Another Believer," for the animated science fiction comedy film Meet the Robinsons (2007).

In 2008, Ofarim had a guest role in an episode of the children's television series Ein Fall für B.A.R.Z.. The same year, he formed another rock band, Acht, along with Oswin Ottl, Petros Kontos, and Andy Lind. Their debut album, Stell dir vor, entirely recorded in German and released in 2010, reflected a new domestic-marketing approach. The quartet supported American singer Alex Band throughout his European concert tour. Also in 2020, Ofarim had appeared as a guest in the ZDF crime television series Ein starkes Team. In October 2012, Ofarim was a contestant on the second season of The Voice of Germany. Coached by singer Xavier Naidoo, he was eliminated in the season's quarter final.{{cite web|url=https://www.augsburger-allgemeine.de/panorama/Gil-Ofarim-Der-einstige-Teenie-Star-will-es-noch-einmal-wissen-id22859936.html|title=Gil Ofarim: Der einstige Teenie-Star will es noch einmal wissen|website=augsburger-allgemeine.de|date=23 November 2012 |accessdate=16 June 2020}} His live performances of The Goo Goo Dolls's "Iris" (1998) and Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" both entered the German Singles Chart and marked his first chart entries in a decade.

In 2013, Ofarim had a recurring role as Mick in the mystery series Armans Geheimnis, produced by and broadcast on Das Erste. In 2017, he took part in the German TV series Let's Dance and became winner with his dance partner Ekaterina Leonova. On 1 August 2019, he was revealed to be the Grasshopper on The Masked Singer where he was placed as runner-up.

In 2007, a newly identified species of moth from the Amata genus and found in Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights was named Amata gil after him.{{cite journal|last1=Witt|first1=Thomas J.|last2=Kravchenko|first2=Vasiliy D.|last3=Spiedel|first3=Wolfgang|last4=Mooser|first4=Josef|last5=Junnila|first5=Amy|last6=Müller|first6=Günter C.|title=A new Amata species from Israel (Arctiidae, Syntominae)|journal=Nota Lepidopterologica|year=2007|volume=30|issue=2|pages=367–373|url=http://www.soceurlep.eu/uploads/nota/bd30_2/09_Witt.pdf|issn=0342-7536}}

On 15 December 2014, Gil married his longtime girlfriend Verena Brock. On 6 March 2015 the couple welcomed their first child, a son Leonard (Leo) Dean Ofarim. On 30 January 2017 the couple welcomed their second child, a daughter Anouk Marie Ofarim.

The couple separated, giving Gil full custody of the children. However the exact date and year of this is still not exact. Gil Ofarim has kindly asked that all press and media leave him and Verena Brock alone during this difficult time. {{citation needed|date=February 2016}}

In October 2021, Ofarim attracted international attention through a video he posted on Instagram and titled “Antisemitismus in Deutschland 2021” (Antisemitism in Germany 2021),https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayx-vDlVo4k, which was reposted on YouTube from Ofarim's Instagram account by the American Jewish Congress on October 5th, 2021 in which he spoke about experiencing pain and embarrassment from antisemitic treatment while checking in at the Leipzig Westin hotel. Ofarim said that he was told to put away his Star of David pendant by a manager, otherwise they would not check him in.[https://www.timesofisrael.com/protests-grow-after-singer-says-german-hotel-refused-him-over-star-of-david/ Protests grow after singer says German hotel refused him over Star of David | The Times of Israel][https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/gil-ofarim-hotel-star-of-david-b1934034.html Protests break out over German-Israeli singer who said he was turned away from German hotel for wearing Star of David | The Independent][https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/06/german-singer-says-hotel-staff-asked-him-to-hide-his-star-of-david German singer says hotel staff asked him to hide his Star of David | Germany | The Guardian] His Instagram video was shared widely, also by the American Jewish Congress, which then started an online petition calling the hotel owner, Marriott, to apologize and educate its employees about antisemitism.{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/new-video-seems-to-challenge-singers-claim-of-antisemitism-at-german-hotel/|title=New video seems to challenge singer's claim of antisemitism at German hotel|date=2021-10-18|author=Toi Staff|publisher=The Times of Israel|language=en}} On October 5, about 600 people congregated in front of the hotel to protest antisemitism.{{Cite web|url=https://www.volksstimme.de/panorama/vermischtes/antisemitismus-in-leipziger-hotel-hunderte-menschen-versammeln-sich-zu-kundgebung-3256863|title=Nach Diskriminierung von Sänger Gil Ofarim: 600 Menschen demonstrieren in Leipzig gegen Antisemitismus|date=2021-10-05|website=Volksstimme|language=de|trans-title=After discrimination of singer Gil Ofarim: 600 people protest in Leipzig against antisemitism}}

Later, the statements by Ofarim were contradicted by two hotel employees and three guests, and according to closed-circuit television recordings, Ofarim did not wear a visible neck chain during the time in question. Confronted with the footage, Ofarim then explained that the exclamation came from behind, and that it was not about the star or the chain, but “about something far bigger.” as he told he was recognized as he appeared in television. Ofarim claimed the hotel did not release the whole footage.{{Cite web|last=Liphshiz|first=Cnaan|title=Singer doubles down on accusations of antisemitism at German hotel|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/singer-doubles-down-on-accusations-of-antisemitism-at-german-hotel/|access-date=2022-02-14|website=www.timesofisrael.com|language=en-US}} Five witnesses furthermore mentioned during a police investigation that Ofarim had used swearwords against the hotel while in the lobby, threatening staff to "post an Instagram video that will go viral".{{Cite web|url=https://www.bild.de/regional/leipzig/leipzig-news/davidstern-affaere-fuenf-zeugen-belasten-gil-ofarim-78073954.bild.html|title = Davistern-Affäre: Fünf Zeugen belasten Gil Ofarim |date = 28 October 2021}} Ofarim did not respond to an inquiry made by Die Zeit investigating whether Ofarim blackmailed the employee.{{Cite web|url=https://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/2021-10/gil-ofarim-antisemitismus-vorwuerfe-ueberwachungsvideo-davidstern-hotel-leipzig?sort=desc#comments|title=Ofarim trug bei Hotelvorfall laut Medien womöglich keinen Davidstern|date=2021-10-17|website=Die Zeit|language=en|trans-title=During hotel incident, media report that Ofarim possibly did not wear a Star of David |last1=Gutensohn |first1=David }}

In March 2022, the German Public Prosecutor's Office discontinued proceedings against the hotel employee and brought charges against Ofarim for libel and false suspicion.{{Cite web |last=LTO |title=Staatsanwaltschaft erhebt Anklage gegen Gil Ofarim |url=https://www.lto.de/recht/nachrichten/n/gil-ofarim-vorwurf-antisemitismus-anklage-staatsanwaltschaft-verleumdung-falsche-verdaechtigung/ |access-date=2022-04-03 |website=Legal Tribune Online |language=de}}{{Cite web |last=|title= German-Israeli singer charged with lying about antisemitism at hotel|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/german-israeli-singer-charged-with-lying-about-antisemitism-at-hotel/ |date=31 March 2022|website=Times of Israel}}

On November 28, 2023, on the 6th day of the trial, Ofarim confessed that he had made up the two year lasting allegations against the hotel employee and apologized to the hotel manager, who accepted Ofarim's apology. The proceedings against Ofarim were discontinued on the condition that he pay an amount of 5,000 euros (a total of 10,000 euros) each to the Jewish Community of Leipzig and the memorial and educational center - House of the Wannsee Conference. The court justified the discontinuation of the proceedings by explaining that the hotel manager had been vindicated more effectively by Ofarim's apology than would have been possible through a verdict.{{cite news |url=https://www.dw.com/en/singer-gil-ofarim-admits-he-lied-about-antisemitic-incident/a-67574882 |title=Singer Gil Ofarim admits he lied about antisemitic incident |work=DW |date=28 November 2023 |access-date=22 November 2024}}{{Cite web |last=LTO |title=Gil Ofarim legt vor Gericht Geständnis ab |url=https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/gil-ofarim-legt-vor-dem-landgericht-leipzig-gestaendnis-ab-a-7d00b294-b15d-44e7-8206-a4cdb08f8418 |access-date=2023-11-28 |website=Spiegel |date=28 November 2023 |language=de}}{{Cite web |last=mdr.de |title=Wende im Prozess: Ofarim gesteht Falschaussage und entschuldigt sich {{!}} MDR.DE |url=https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/sachsen/leipzig/gestaendnis-ofarim-prozess-hotel-antisemitismus-100.html |access-date=2023-11-28 |website=www.mdr.de |language=de}}

• "Round 'n' Round (It Goes)" (1997)
• "Never Giving Up Now" (1998)
• "If You Only Knew" (featuring the Moffatts) (1998)
• "Here I Am" (1998)
• "Let the Music Heal Your Soul" (with various artists) (1998)
• "Talk to You" (1998)
• "Calling" (1998) (featuring Karylle)
• "Walking Down the Line" (1999)
• "Out of My Bed (Still in My Head)" (1999)
• "It's Your Love" (2000)
• "The Reason" (2003)
• "She" (2003, not released)
• "In Your Eyes" (2004)
• "I'm Alive" (Zoo Army) (2006)
• "Still" (Acht) (2010)

{{reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• [http://www.gilofarim.de Official website]
• [http://www.zooarmy.com/ Official Zoo Army website]
• [http://www.achtmusik.de/ Official Acht website]
• {{IMDb name|1356074}}

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Category:1982 births

Category:Living people

Category:Singers from Munich

Category:German people of Israeli descent

Category:German pop singers

Category:20th-century German Jews

Category:Jewish singers

Category:Jewish songwriters

Category:German male singer-songwriters

Category:German singer-songwriters

Category:21st-century German male singers

Category:Hoaxes in Germany