Haim Hefer

{{Short description|Israeli songwriter and columnist (1925–2012)}}

{{Infobox writer

| name = Haim Hefer

| image = Haim Hefer 1983.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Hefer in 1983

| pseudonym =

| birth_name = Haim Feiner

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1925|10|29|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Sosnowiec, Second Polish Republic

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2012|09|18|1925|10|29|df=yes}}

| death_place = Tel Aviv, Israel

| occupation = Songwriter, poet, writer

| citizenship = Israel

| education =

| alma_mater =

| period = 1930s–2012

| genre =

| subject = war, peace, politics, current affairs

| movement =

| notableworks = {{ill|The Finjan|lt=HaFinjan|he|הפינג'אן}} (The Finjan{{efn|name=finjan|Finjan in Israel (and in the song) refers to a coffee pot with a long handle, also known as cezve elsewhere. In Arabic, finjan is a kind of coffee cup. In the culture of Israel, finjan, a coffee pot with a long handle has a special meaning. After a hard day's work the pioneers of Israel would sit by the fire passing a finjan around.[http://www.jewishhumorcentral.com/2013/04/finjan-old-israeli-campfire-song-was.html Finjan, the Old Israeli Campfire Song, Was Originally an Armenian Folk Song], April 4, 2013 This is reflected in Hefer's song "HaFinjan", set to an Armenian folk tune "Hingala".Marsha Bryan Edelman, Discovering Jewish Music, [https://books.google.com/books?id=VuOZAJzvzOQC&pg=PA222 p. 222]}}), Hayu Zmanim (In Those Days), Hamilkhama Ha'achrona (The Last War), HaSela haAdom (The Red Rock)

| spouse = Ruti Haramati

| partner =

| children = Mimi

| relatives =

| awards = 1983 Israel Prize

| signature =

| website =

| portaldisp =

| native_name = חיים חפר

| native_name_lang = he

}}

Haim Hefer ({{langx|he|חיים חפר}};{{lrm}} 29 October 1925 – 18 September 2012) was a Polish-born Israeli songwriter, poet, columnist, translator and writer. He wrote for numerous composers and musical artists, as well as for military bands. Several of his songs are considered Israeli classics. He was awarded the Israel Prize in 1983 as recognition for his contributions to Israeli music.

Biography

Haim Feiner (later Hefer) was born in Sosnowiec, Poland in 1925 to Jewish parents Issachar Feiner, a chocolate salesman, and Rivka Herzberg, a housewife. He had a private Hebrew tutor. His family immigrated to Palestine in 1936 and settled in Raanana. He began writing at the age of 13, as part of a national contest. He never finished high school and joined the Palmach in 1943.{{Cite news

| date = 28 July 2005

| last = Avrahami

| first = Avner

| script-title=he:יש שורות שהייתי מוחק

| language = he

|trans-title=There are lines I'd erase

| work = Haaretz

| access-date = 17 October 2008

| url = http://www.haaretz.co.il/misc/1.986538

}} He took part in smuggling illegal immigrants through Syria and Lebanon. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, he was one of the founders of the Chizbatron, the Palmach army troupe, and was its chief songwriter.{{Cite news

| last = Yudilovitch

| first = Merav

| title = Celebrating Haim Hefer's 80th birthday at Tzavta

| work = Ynet

| access-date = 17 October 2008

| date = 14 November 2005

| url = http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3168458,00.html

|language=he}} He had a nickname, "Kilometer", because he "weighed a kilo and was only a meter in height."{{cite journal |last1=Peters |first1=Dominik |title=Melody of a Myth: The Legacy of Haim Hefers Red Rock Song |journal=Transversal |date=1 December 2015 |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=103–115 |doi=10.1515/tra-2015-0011 |s2cid=193445101 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293194767 |access-date=26 October 2022|doi-access=free }}

Hefer owned a house in Ein Hod,{{Cite web

| title = Ein-Hod Articles

| work = ein-hod.israel.net

| access-date = 17 October 2008

| url = http://ein-hod.israel.net/article/prize/

}} but resided in Tel Aviv. He was married to Ruti Haramati, with whom he had a daughter, Mimi. In 1975–1978 Hefer was a cultural attaché at the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles.[http://www.hebrew-writers.org/lacs-in.asp?catalogid=193 Haim Hefer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004015455/http://www.hebrew-writers.org/lacs-in.asp?catalogid=193 |date=4 October 2015 }} at the Hebrew Writers Lexicon {{in lang|he}}

On 18 September 2012 (the second day of Rosh Hashanah, 5773), Hefer died at Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv, after a long illness.{{cite web|last=Cashman|first=Greer Fay|title=National culture icon Haim Hefer dies at 86|url=http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=285448|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post|access-date=19 September 2012|date=18 September 2012}}

Music career

In the 1950s, Hefer and Dahn Ben-Amotz wrote {{ill|A Bag of Fibs|he|ילקוט הכזבים‎ }}, a collection of tall tales made up in the Palmach, and founded the "Hamam" club in Jaffa. During that time, he founded "Revi'iat Moadon HaTeatron" (Theater Club Quartet). He wrote a weekly column for Yediot Aharonot, which included maqamas on current affairs. A Bag of Fibs achieved cult status in Israel.{{Cite news

| last = Rubinstein

| first = Danny

| script-title=he:ירושלמי נכנס למסעדה בהודו ומזמין כוס תה

| language = he

|trans-title=A Jerusalemite enters a restaurant in India and orders a cup of tea

| work = Haaretz

| access-date = 5 September 2008

| date = 12 June 2007

| url = http://www.haaretz.co.il/literature/study/1.1415388

}} He was later made a cultural attache to the Israeli consul in Los Angeles.{{Cite news

| last = Eichner

| first = Itamar

| title = Moti Reif's appointment as cultural attache approved

| work = Ynet

| access-date = 17 October 2008

| date = 23 June 2003

| url = http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/1,7340,L-2666833,00.html

|language=he}}

He wrote for dozens of composers, including Sasha Argov, Moshe Wilensky and Dubi Seltzer. Artists who performed his songs include Arik Lavie, Yehoram Gaon, Shoshana Damari and Yafa Yarkoni, as well as The High Windows and most Israeli military bands. He wrote lyrics for musicals, including Kazablan and {{ill|I Like Mike (musical)|lt=I Like Mike|he|פדק סוקולוב" לעתונאות}} (made into the film with the same name). Many of his songs, such as "Yatzanu at", "HaFinjan" (The Finjan{{efn|name=finjan}}), "Hayu Zmanim" (In Those Days), "The Red Rock" (HaSela haAdom) and "Hamilkhama Ha'achrona" (The Last War) are considered Israeli classics. He also published several collections of his verses. Shortly before the 1948 war, he wrote a song titled "Between the Borders", about immigration. It included the words "We are here, a defensive shield". In 2002, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an operation in the West Bank and named it Operation Defensive Shield.{{Cite news

| last = Palti

| first = Michal

| title = Song of peace, song of war

| work = Haaretz

| access-date = 17 October 2008

| date = 15 April 2002

| url = http://www.haaretz.com/life/books/song-of-peace-song-of-war-1.47691

}}

Controversy

In 2002, Hefer described Moroccan Jewish culture as inferior to that of the Polish Jews. He called Aviv Geffen a phony and criticized Yaffa Yarkoni for badmouthing the IDF.{{Cite news

| last = Yudilovitch

| first = Merav

|author2=Ari Katorza

| title = Haim Hefer: The Moroccans – Undeveloped

| work = Ynet

| access-date = 17 October 2008

| date = 7 June 2002

| url = http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/1,7340,L-1933394,00.html

|language=he}} His remarks were condemned as racist and criticized by then President of Israel, Moshe Katsav, members of the Moroccan community, and representatives of the Shas Party,{{Cite news

| title = Hefer's remarks condemned as racist

| work = The Jerusalem Post

| access-date = 17 October 2008

| date = 9 June 2002

| url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-53518981.html

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121022004750/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-53518981.html

| url-status = dead

| archive-date = 22 October 2012

}} as well as Mizrahi musicians such as Margalit Tzan'ani. Hefer made a public apology and wrote a song for singer Zehava Ben.{{Cite news

| last = Yudilovitch

| first = Merav

| title = Haim Hefer to write for Zehava Ben

| work = Ynet

| access-date = 17 October 2008

| date = 16 June 2003

| url = http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-2658696,00.html

|language=he}}

Awards and recognition

1969: Sokolov Award for journalism[https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/mar/1969/09/29/01/article/64?&dliv=none&e=-------he-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxTI--------------1 פדק סוקולוב" לעתונאות], Ma'ariv, September 29, 1969
1981: ACUM Prize for lifetime achievement[https://haimhefer.co.il/ Haim Hefer's official website]
1983: Israel Prize, for Hebrew song (words),{{Cite web| title = Israel Prize Official Site – Recipients in 1983 (in Hebrew)| url = http://cms.education.gov.il/EducationCMS/Units/PrasIsrael/Tashmag/Tashnab_Tashmag_Rikuz.htm?DictionaryKey=Tashmag}} for his contribution to the Music of Israel.{{Cite web

|title = Hefer, Chaim (1925 – )

|work = Jewish Agency

|access-date = 17 October 2008

|url = http://www.jafi.org.il/education/100/PEOPLE/hefer.html

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080516082948/http://www.jafi.org.il/education/100/people/hefer.html

|archive-date = 16 May 2008

|df = dmy-all

}}

2011: Lifetime Achievement Award from the Bar-Ilan University[https://library.osu.edu/projects/hebrew-lexicon/00727.php חיים חפר (1925–2012)]

In 2008 in Poland was published a book, "Chaim Chefer—Memorable Days"("Chaim Chefer – Pamiętne Dni"), the development of the graphic made by Pawel Slota under the artistic supervision of Agnieszka Tyrman. The book was out of admiration and respect for the work of Chaim Chefer in the jubilee year the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel.{{cite web |title=Chaim Chefer – Pamiętne Dni |date=10 July 2012 |language=Pl |trans-title=Chaim Chefer—Memorable Days |url=http://issuu.com/pawelslota/docs/chaim_chefer_-_pami_tne_dni_ |publisher=ISSUU |access-date=12 August 2014}}

Gallery

File:Haim Hefer and Rachel Haramati.JPG|Haim Hefer and Rachel Haramati

File:Chizbatron 1949.jpg|Hefer with the Chizbatron, September 1949

Notes

References

{{Reflist | refs=

{{cite news |last=Kershner |first=Isabel |title=Haim Hefer, Israeli Songwriter and Poet, Dies at 86 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/21/world/middleeast/haim-hefer-israeli-songwriter-and-poet-dies-at-86.html |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=20 September 2012 |date=20 September 2012}}

}}