Eighty years ago, on July 13th 1930 (י"ז בְּתַמּוּז, תר"צ) on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, an Israeli musician was born – her name was Naomi Shemer (Sapir). Naomi was the daughter of Rivka and Yosef Sapir, who helped found a Kibbutz called Kvutzat Kinneret.
In the years to come, Naomi Shemer (נָעֳמִי שֶׁמֶר) became the "first lady of Israeli song and music". Shemer composed music for her own lyrics, as-well-as others. She translated and adapted well-known songs into Hebrew in such an excellent manner that many Israelis believe that these are original Hebrew songs.
Naomi Shemer songs related to many historical and national as-well-as private and intimate events. Her lyrics related to the Jewish and Israeli culture and tradition with many biblical references. Her famous song Yerushalyim shel Zahav (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁל זָהָב, Jerusalem of Gold) was written just before the Six-Day-War (1967), describing the Jewish people's 2000-year longing to return to Jerusalem. Three weeks later, when the Old City of Jerusalem was redeemed from the Jordanians and Jerusalem was unified, the song became something of a national anthem. Six years later, During the Yom-Kippur War (1973) Naomi Shemer gave a Hebrew interpretation to the well-know song of the Beatles “Let it be". In her song “Lu Yehi” (לוּ יְהִי), she described the national mood during the war and added some words of peaceful hope. The song soon became the musical icon of the Yom-Kippur War.
A year after the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Shemer translated the song of the American poet Walt Whitman "O Captain! My Captain!" (הוֹ, רַב חוֹבֵל) and composed it. Whitman wrote this song after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and Shemer dedicated it to Rabin.
Shemer wrote for children and adults, she wrote about her personal experience (like growing next to the Kinneret in the well known-song “Xurshat Ha’Ekaliptus”) and about the national wishes (rebuilding the temple, building the country). Her songs are loved and valued by the whole society, as they touch the hearts of every soul. The State of Israel awarded her the state’s highest honor – The Israel Prize (פְּרַס יִשְׂרָאֵל, Pras Yisrael) for her contribution to Hebrew Song and Music.
Naomi Shemer died of cancer on June 26th 2004 (ז' בְּתַמּוּז, תשס"ד) and was buried next to her parents in Kvutzat Kinneret.
הֱיוּ שָׁלוֹם!
Heyu Shalom!
Farewell!
Shira Cohen-Regev The HebrewOnline Team
Naomi Shemer’s grave (next to her parents). Her name and the flower are written in the manner of her famous signature. (Picture by Avishay Ticher)
Naomi Shemer Song
It’s sad to die in mid-Tamuzעָצוּב לָמוּת בְּאֶמְצַע הַתַּמּוּז
In the late 1970s Naomi Shemer faced a life-saving operation. She was unsure that she would survive this operation and wrote a song describing how sad it is to die in the middle of the Hebrew month of Tamuz. The operation was successful and she had more than 20 fruitful years to live after it. The song became tragically authentic when she actually died in the middle of the month of Tamuz.
Translation
Transliteration
It’s sad to die in mid-Tamuz
Summer’s flags are highly raised
On top of the pole a dove is cooing – it will not cease
For upon thy summer fruits and upon thy harvest the battle shout is fallen.
Atsuv lamut be’emtsa hatamuz
Digley hakayitz nisa’im el-al
Al rosh hatoren tor homme velo yexdal
Ki al keytsex ve’al ktsirex heydad nafal
The mother in law of Ruth the Moabitess. After Ruth's husband's death, she stayed with her mother in law. "And Ruth said: Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go and where thou lodgest, I will lodge, thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me." Ruth 1, 16-17.
Citation:
"And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died, and she was left and her two sons. And they took them wives of the women of Moab, the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth." Ruth 1, 3-4
The name "Shemer" is derived of the verb "לשמור" (lishmor, "keep", "guard", "protect").
History:
There are several people in the Bible called "Shemer". One of them was the owner of the hill of Samaria, before Omri, the king of Israel, bought it from him.
Citation:
"And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria." 1 Kings 16, 24
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