Shaike Levi
Encyclopedia
Yeshayahu "Shaike" Levi (born 1939) is an Israel
i comedian, singer and actor. He is best known for his role in the Gashash HaHiver (HaGashash HaHiver) comedy trio, which won the Israel Prize
in 2000.
.
, Egypt
to Mazal and Moshe Levi. He left Egypt with his mother in 1944, after the death of his father. The family settled in Tel Aviv
but Levi spent his adolescent years in Kibbutz Ein Hayam and later Givat Brenner
. In 1956-1957 he led the singing group the "Givat Brenner Foursome" alongside Daniel Vardon.
and then at the Central Command Troupe. Shortly after his discharge in 1960, he joined the band "The Small Hours Club" in Safed
. Levi was accepted to the Cameri Theater
and played a small role in a play called "The Twelfth Night" but when Naomi Polani
constructed HaTarnegolim ( lit. The Roosters) band, Levi preferred it over the Cameri. Levi says that he hadn't studied acting or voice coaching and that Naomi Polani was like a school to the group.
In 1962 Levi acted in his first movie role as an 'enemy pilot' in the film Sinaia , which was based on an actual event from the days of Suez Crisis
where a Bedouin
baby was brought to Israel by an army medic
after her mother had been accidentally injured by Israeli forces during the fighting. Following military service in entertainment units he joined HaTarnegolim and afterwards joined the HaGashash HaHiver trio in late 1963. The team raised eleven comedy acts and participated in eleven films along with numerous festivals, musical recordings and television performances during a time span of 40 years.
From 1993 to 1999 Levi headed EMI (Artists of Israel) and in 1996 he came out with a biographical book titled Sipurim Im Rotev ( lit. 'Stories With Sauce'), which included songs and cooking recipes. In 1999 he released his first solo album, "Shaike Levi."
Between 2003-2006 he portrayed Elvis Ben-David in Israeli productions based on the adaptation of the Mexican
telenovela
El Amor no es como lo pintan ("Love is not as they paint it") and also appeared in a solo stage act (Yeshayahu Chapter 2) and participated in a children's musical tape (Bamboni Ein Kamoni).
– at the request of Avraham Deshe (Pashanel), in order to start the Gashash HaHiver trio. Levi recollects the success of the Gesher HaYarkon trio and that, while they were not certain that they could duplicate the success of the Tarnegolim, Pashanel was sure and paid their salaries throughout the long preparation months.
Their first act, titled Simhat Zkenti was more successful than anticipated with 350 performances across Israel by the end of 1965. The show, which was very Mizrahit in nature, had an initial unresponsive welcome by the Kibbutz movement
. Levi recalls Shaike Ophir being strict on the group emphasizing every 'Heth
' ('') and 'Ayin
' ('') like he would and attributes their acceptance by the kibbutzim to their director Nissim Aloni.
In 1964 he performed in Ephraim Kishon
's critically acclaimed film Sallah Shabati
alongside Chaim Topol
, Gila Almagor
, Zaharira Harifai, and Arik Einstein
. The film was a satirical portrayal of the poor conditions and the integration of the Jewish refugees from Arab lands living in the maabara. In 1967, Levi also played in another Kishon film – Ervinka
' onMouseout='HidePop("15497")' href="/topics/Uri_Zohar">Uri Zohar
together with Gavri Banai and Yisrael Poliakov: Moishe Ventilator (1966) , a parody featuring Yaakov Bodo, Shaike Ophir and Uri Zohar about a frugal private
whose money saving ideas include cutting maps in the operation room; HaShehuna Shelanu (1968) , a Bourekas film with Shaike Ophir, Gabi Amrani, Yona Atari, Tsippi Shavit, Gadi Yagil among others; Kol Mamzer Melekh (1968) with Yehoram Gaon
as a chatty driver who gets tangled in the Six Day War and ends up stopping an Egyptian armored division by himself; and Hitromamut (1970) , which depicted three married men who fulfil a sexual fantasy but quickly turn to envious and guilty feelings. Hitromamut, which included Josie Katz and Liora Rivlin was noted for break-through methods in low budget production and for being filmed in 16 mm and then enlarged to 35 mm. During this time the "Gashash" also participated in Menahem Golan
's melodrama
film Fortuna
(1966) which starred French
actor Pierre Brasseur
and also in Rafi Nusbaum's film HaMatara Tiran (1968) about a group of soldiers whose mission is to destroy a Soviet radar
station in the Straits of Tiran
.
films: the a cult movie Givat Halfon Eina Ona
(1976) , a satire about an army
reserves company watching the Egyptian border in Sinai; Shlager (1979) , a musical comedy which featured The Frekha Song (written by Assi Dayan, composed by Tzvika Pik and sung by Ofra Haza
); HaKrav Al HaVaad (1986) , a humorous depiction of Israeli politics taking place in a condominium. During these years, Levi performed in two other films: Hamesh Meot Ellef Shachor (1977) , starring Ze'ev Revach
, Jacques Cohen
and Yosef Shiloah and directed by Shaike Ophir; and in Kohav Hashahar (1980) , a film about life in Yafo featuring Arieh Elias, Noam Kaniel
, Asher Tzarfati, Yosef Shiloah, and Arab-Israeli soccer player Rifat Turk
.
, an Israeli adaptation of the Mexican
telenovela
El Amor no es como lo pintan ("Love is not as they paint it"). His successful and charismatic appearance promoted further productions that were based on his Elvis character: Elvis, Rosental, VeHaIsha Hamistorit (2005) and Elvis (2006). During this period Levi came out with a solo stage act titled Yeshayahu Chapter 2 (in 2005).
In 2007, Levi participated in a children's musical tape – Bamboni Ein Kamoni . In an interview for Maariv
's internet site nrg he jokingly noted that this performance to a very young crowd is a long term investment and that in 20 years they would be the people who would purchase tickets to his shows.
Shaike Levi and fellow "Gashash" Gavri Banai were enlisted for the second season of the television show Hakol Dvash . The show, which included the third "Gashash", Yisrael Poliakov, has gained critical acclaim for its first season but has also saw the passing away of both Poliakov and Shosh Atari
who portrayed the parents of the show's creator-writer, Yael Polyakov, the real life daughter of Yisrael.
for lifetime achievement and contribution to socisety and the State of Israel.
Among the contributors to the "Gashash" success were the trio's producer (Avraham Pashanel) and directors (Shaike Ophir, Nissim Aloni, Yossi Banai and Moti Kirschenbaum), as well as musical directors (Arie Lavnon and after him Itshak Garciani) and content contributors (Music: Yair Rosenblum, Kobi Oshrat
, Ariel Zilber
, Mati Caspi, and Naomi Shemer
, Writers: Shaike Ophir, Nissim Aloni, Yossi Banai, Moti Kirschenbaum, Danni Reve, and Yonatan Geffen).
From the thousands of shows by the "Gashash" Levi recalls a performance in Carnegie Hall
in New York
which received warm reviews in the New York Times as well as a certain performance in front of injured soldiers in hospitals where a soldier's mother noted "you're not allowed to laugh; your sutures will open!" to her son who hasn't smiled or laughed in a while.
for usage of HaGashash HaHiver early recording materials. Levi notes that in those days it was the only channel and they would perform there for free on the condition that it was a single-use recording. Noting a document ratifying his statement to Moshe Gavish (chairman of the authority) – signed by various relevant television managers Arnon Zucherman, Moti Kirschenbaum, Rafi Ginat and others – he demanded that the content be transferred to the "Gashash" Members and producer as it was their intellectual property
.
References.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i comedian, singer and actor. He is best known for his role in the Gashash HaHiver (HaGashash HaHiver) comedy trio, which won the Israel Prize
Israel Prize
The Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
in 2000.
.
Biography
Yeshayahu (Shaike) Levi was born in CairoCairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
to Mazal and Moshe Levi. He left Egypt with his mother in 1944, after the death of his father. The family settled in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
but Levi spent his adolescent years in Kibbutz Ein Hayam and later Givat Brenner
Givat Brenner
Givat Brenner , also written Giv'at Brener, is a kibbutz in the Center District of Israel. Located around two kilometres south of Rehovot, it falls under the jurisdiction of Brenner Regional Council...
. In 1956-1957 he led the singing group the "Givat Brenner Foursome" alongside Daniel Vardon.
Entertainment career
During his military service, Levi served in the IDF troupe at the GadnaGadna (Israel)
Gadna is an Israeli military program to prepare youth for their mandatory military service in the Israel Defense Forces or Border Police. A one week program of discipline and military learning run mostly by soldiers of the Nahal infantry brigade, as well as by soldiers recruited and trained...
and then at the Central Command Troupe. Shortly after his discharge in 1960, he joined the band "The Small Hours Club" in Safed
Safed
Safed , is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and of Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters...
. Levi was accepted to the Cameri Theater
Cameri Theater
The Cameri Theater , established in 1944 in Tel Aviv, is one of the leading theaters in Israel, and is housed at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center....
and played a small role in a play called "The Twelfth Night" but when Naomi Polani
Naomi Polani
Naomi Polani is an Israeli musical director, theater director, singer, producer, actress, and dancer.-Music career:...
constructed HaTarnegolim ( lit. The Roosters) band, Levi preferred it over the Cameri. Levi says that he hadn't studied acting or voice coaching and that Naomi Polani was like a school to the group.
In 1962 Levi acted in his first movie role as an 'enemy pilot' in the film Sinaia , which was based on an actual event from the days of Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
where a Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
baby was brought to Israel by an army medic
Combat medic
Combat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury...
after her mother had been accidentally injured by Israeli forces during the fighting. Following military service in entertainment units he joined HaTarnegolim and afterwards joined the HaGashash HaHiver trio in late 1963. The team raised eleven comedy acts and participated in eleven films along with numerous festivals, musical recordings and television performances during a time span of 40 years.
From 1993 to 1999 Levi headed EMI (Artists of Israel) and in 1996 he came out with a biographical book titled Sipurim Im Rotev ( lit. 'Stories With Sauce'), which included songs and cooking recipes. In 1999 he released his first solo album, "Shaike Levi."
Between 2003-2006 he portrayed Elvis Ben-David in Israeli productions based on the adaptation of the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
telenovela
Telenovela
A telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
El Amor no es como lo pintan ("Love is not as they paint it") and also appeared in a solo stage act (Yeshayahu Chapter 2) and participated in a children's musical tape (Bamboni Ein Kamoni).
HaGashash HaHiver
In late 1963 Levi left The Roosters – together with two other "Roosters", Gavri Banai and Yisrael PoliakovYisrael Poliakov
Yisrael "Poli" Poliakov was an Israeli comedian and actor. Poliakov was born in Jerusalem, and grew up in Tel Aviv. He became one of the three members of the Israeli comedy group, HaGashash HaHiver .-Career:Poliakov originally chose a career as a farmer and studied at the Kfar HaYarok...
– at the request of Avraham Deshe (Pashanel), in order to start the Gashash HaHiver trio. Levi recollects the success of the Gesher HaYarkon trio and that, while they were not certain that they could duplicate the success of the Tarnegolim, Pashanel was sure and paid their salaries throughout the long preparation months.
Their first act, titled Simhat Zkenti was more successful than anticipated with 350 performances across Israel by the end of 1965. The show, which was very Mizrahit in nature, had an initial unresponsive welcome by the Kibbutz movement
Kibbutz Movement
The Kibbutz Movement is the largest settlement movement for kibbutzim in Israel. It was formed in 1999 by a partial merger of the United Kibbutz Movement and Kibbutz Artzi.-United Kibbutz Movement:...
. Levi recalls Shaike Ophir being strict on the group emphasizing every 'Heth
Heth
-People:* Children of Heth, a Canaanite nation in the Hebrew Bible, purportedly named after Heth, son of Canaan, son of Ham, son of Noah* figures in the Book of Mormon:** Heth , an early Jaredite** Heth a later Jaredite...
' ('') and 'Ayin
Ayin
' or ' is the sixteenth letter in many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic . It is the twenty-first letter in the new Persian alphabet...
' ('') like he would and attributes their acceptance by the kibbutzim to their director Nissim Aloni.
In 1964 he performed in Ephraim Kishon
Ephraim Kishon
' was an Israeli author, dramatist, screenwriter, and film director. He is one of the most widely-read contemporary satirists in the world.- Early life and World War II :...
's critically acclaimed film Sallah Shabati
Sallah Shabati
Sallah Shabati is a 1964 Israeli comedy film about the chaos of Israeli immigration and resettlement. This social satire placed the director Ephraim Kishon and producer Menahem Golan among the first Israeli filmmakers to achieve international success...
alongside Chaim Topol
Chaim Topol
Chaim Topol , often billed simply as Topol, is an Israeli theatrical and film performer, actor, writer and producer. He has been nominated for an Oscar and Tony Award, and has won two Golden Globes.-Early life:...
, Gila Almagor
Gila Almagor
Gila Almagor is an Israeli actress, film star, and author.-Biography:Gila Almagor was born four months after the death of her father, Max Alexandrowitz, a Jewish immigrant from Germany who was killed by an Arab sniper while working as a policeman in Haifa...
, Zaharira Harifai, and Arik Einstein
Arik Einstein
Arik Einstein is an Israeli singer-songwriter.Einstein was a vocalist for Batzal Yarok , Shleeshiyat Gesher Hayarkon and Hahalonot Hagvohim . His collaboration with Shalom Hanoch and the Churchills planted the seeds for the first Israeli rock albums...
. The film was a satirical portrayal of the poor conditions and the integration of the Jewish refugees from Arab lands living in the maabara. In 1967, Levi also played in another Kishon film – Ervinka
Ervinka
Ervinka is a 1967 Israeli film written and directed by Ephraim Kishon. The film, starring Chaim Topol is a comical tale of a con man who falls in love with a police officer.-Plot:...
' onMouseout='HidePop("15497")' href="/topics/Uri_Zohar">Uri Zohar
Uri Zohar
Uri Zohar is a former Israeli film director, actor, and comedian who left the entertainment world to become a rabbi.-Biography:Zohar was born in Tel Aviv in 1934. In 1952, he graduated high school and did his military service in an army entertainment troupe. His first marriage ended in divorce.By...
together with Gavri Banai and Yisrael Poliakov: Moishe Ventilator (1966) , a parody featuring Yaakov Bodo, Shaike Ophir and Uri Zohar about a frugal private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
whose money saving ideas include cutting maps in the operation room; HaShehuna Shelanu (1968) , a Bourekas film with Shaike Ophir, Gabi Amrani, Yona Atari, Tsippi Shavit, Gadi Yagil among others; Kol Mamzer Melekh (1968) with Yehoram Gaon
Yehoram Gaon
Yehoram Gaon is a Jewish Israeli singer, actor, director, producer, TV and radio host, and public figure...
as a chatty driver who gets tangled in the Six Day War and ends up stopping an Egyptian armored division by himself; and Hitromamut (1970) , which depicted three married men who fulfil a sexual fantasy but quickly turn to envious and guilty feelings. Hitromamut, which included Josie Katz and Liora Rivlin was noted for break-through methods in low budget production and for being filmed in 16 mm and then enlarged to 35 mm. During this time the "Gashash" also participated in Menahem Golan
Menahem Golan
Menahem Golan is an Israeli director and producer. He has produced movies for such stars as Sean Connery, Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Charles Bronson, and was known for a period as a producer of comic book-style movies like Masters of the Universe, Superman IV:...
's melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
film Fortuna
Fortuna (film)
Fortuna aka Seduced in Sodom aka The Girl from the Dead Sea a 1966 film directed by Menahem Golan. It was released in the United States in 1969 in a dubbed version.-Plot:...
(1966) which starred French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
actor Pierre Brasseur
Pierre Brasseur
Pierre Brasseur , born Pierre-Albert Espinasse, was a French actor.He was the son of actor Georges Espinasse and actress Germaine Brasseur while the latter was married to Albert Brasseur. His grandfather, Jules Brasseur, was an actor as well...
and also in Rafi Nusbaum's film HaMatara Tiran (1968) about a group of soldiers whose mission is to destroy a Soviet radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
station in the Straits of Tiran
Straits of Tiran
The Straits of Tiran , are the narrow sea passages, about wide, between the Sinai and Arabian peninsulas which separate the Gulf of Aqaba from the Red Sea...
.
Film career
Between 1976–1986 the Gashash HaHiver performed in three Assi DayanAssi Dayan
Asaf "Assi" Dayan is an Israeli film director, actor, screenwriter and producer.-Personal life:Assi Dayan is the youngest son of Israeli general and minister of defence Moshe Dayan and peace activist Ruth Dayan . He has two siblings: politician and author Yael Dayan, born 1939, and sculptor Ehud ...
films: the a cult movie Givat Halfon Eina Ona
Givat Halfon Eina Ona
Giv'at Halfon Eina Ona also credited as Halfon Hill Doesn't Answer, is a cult Israeli comedy film produced in 1976. It is a good-hearted satire movie about the Israel Defense Forces which tells the story of a reserves company, watching the Egyptian border in Sinai. Characters such as the conman...
(1976) , a satire about an army
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
reserves company watching the Egyptian border in Sinai; Shlager (1979) , a musical comedy which featured The Frekha Song (written by Assi Dayan, composed by Tzvika Pik and sung by Ofra Haza
Ofra Haza
Ofra Haza was an Israeli singer of Yemeni origin, an actress and international recording artist....
); HaKrav Al HaVaad (1986) , a humorous depiction of Israeli politics taking place in a condominium. During these years, Levi performed in two other films: Hamesh Meot Ellef Shachor (1977) , starring Ze'ev Revach
Ze'ev Revach
Ze'ev Revach is an Israeli comedian, movie actor, and director. He is a star of the Israeli movie genre known as bourekas films.-Biography:...
, Jacques Cohen
Jacques Cohen
Jacques Cohen is a Dutch embryologist living in New York, in the U.S. He is currently Director at Reprogenetics, LLC, Laboratory Director at ART Institute of Washington at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center , and Scientific Director of R & D at IVF-online...
and Yosef Shiloah and directed by Shaike Ophir; and in Kohav Hashahar (1980) , a film about life in Yafo featuring Arieh Elias, Noam Kaniel
Noam Kaniel
Noam, full name Noam Kaniel is a singer and composer, who has sold over 8 million records , and is known for composing or performing the theme songs of many animated series including X-Men, Goldorak, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, Heathcliff and Code Lyoko, to mention just a few.Noam began singing...
, Asher Tzarfati, Yosef Shiloah, and Arab-Israeli soccer player Rifat Turk
Rifat Turk
Rifaat "Jimmy" Turk , Arab-Israeli former football player and manager and a former deputy mayor of Tel Aviv. Turk was the first Arab to play for the Israel national team and to represent the country at the Olympic Games.-Football career:...
.
Television
In 2003, Levi was cast as 'Elvis Ben-David' in the television series Esti Ha'mechoeretEsti Ha'mechoeret
Esti HaMekho'eret is an Israeli television comedy-drama series starring Riki Blich. The series premiered on 3 July 2003 on Channel 2 in Israel and was created by Shlomo Moshiah....
, an Israeli adaptation of the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
telenovela
Telenovela
A telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
El Amor no es como lo pintan ("Love is not as they paint it"). His successful and charismatic appearance promoted further productions that were based on his Elvis character: Elvis, Rosental, VeHaIsha Hamistorit (2005) and Elvis (2006). During this period Levi came out with a solo stage act titled Yeshayahu Chapter 2 (in 2005).
In 2007, Levi participated in a children's musical tape – Bamboni Ein Kamoni . In an interview for Maariv
Maariv
Maariv is a Hebrew language daily newspaper published in Israel. It is second in sales after Yedioth Ahronoth and third in readership after Yedioth Ahronoth and Israel HaYom. In a TGI survey comparing the last half of 2009 with the same period in 2008, Maariv saw its market share fall slightly...
's internet site nrg he jokingly noted that this performance to a very young crowd is a long term investment and that in 20 years they would be the people who would purchase tickets to his shows.
Shaike Levi and fellow "Gashash" Gavri Banai were enlisted for the second season of the television show Hakol Dvash . The show, which included the third "Gashash", Yisrael Poliakov, has gained critical acclaim for its first season but has also saw the passing away of both Poliakov and Shosh Atari
Shosh Atari
Shosh Atari was an Israeli actress, born in Rehovot. She was the sister of Gali Atari.In the 1970s Atari joined Kol Yisrael and in the 1980s she was one of the stars of Reshet Gimel, where she was the host of the music hit programs - "Chadash, Chadish, U-mechudash", "Lohet", and other programs...
who portrayed the parents of the show's creator-writer, Yael Polyakov, the real life daughter of Yisrael.
Awards and recognition
In 2000, after close to 40 years of running shows together, the Gashash HaHiver, alongside its three individual members, Levi, Gavri Banai and Yisrael Poliakov, were together awarded the Israel PrizeIsrael Prize
The Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
for lifetime achievement and contribution to socisety and the State of Israel.
Among the contributors to the "Gashash" success were the trio's producer (Avraham Pashanel) and directors (Shaike Ophir, Nissim Aloni, Yossi Banai and Moti Kirschenbaum), as well as musical directors (Arie Lavnon and after him Itshak Garciani) and content contributors (Music: Yair Rosenblum, Kobi Oshrat
Kobi Oshrat
Kobi Oshrat is a composer and conductor from Haifa in Israel. He composed and conducted the winning entry at the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest Hallelujah sung by Gali Atari and Milk and Honey...
, Ariel Zilber
Ariel Zilber
Ariel Zilber is an Israeli singer-songwriter and composer. He is considered one of the most prominent musicians and singer-songwriters in Israeli music, known for his highly literate lyrics and for his simple yet profound style.Zilber became a Baal Tshuva following the 2005 disengagement from...
, Mati Caspi, and Naomi Shemer
Naomi Shemer
Naomi Shemer was a leading Israeli songwriter hailed as the "first lady of Israeli song and poetry."-Biography:Naomi Sapir was born on Kvutzat Kinneret, a kibbutz her parents had helped found, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. In the 1950s she served in the Israeli Defense Force's Nahal...
, Writers: Shaike Ophir, Nissim Aloni, Yossi Banai, Moti Kirschenbaum, Danni Reve, and Yonatan Geffen).
From the thousands of shows by the "Gashash" Levi recalls a performance in Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
which received warm reviews in the New York Times as well as a certain performance in front of injured soldiers in hospitals where a soldier's mother noted "you're not allowed to laugh; your sutures will open!" to her son who hasn't smiled or laughed in a while.
Legal issues
Levi has been in conflict with Israeli broadcasting authority over high per-minute payment demands by Israel's public Channel 1Channel 1 (Israel)
Channel 1 is one of the oldest television channels in Israel and one of five terrestrial channels in the country...
for usage of HaGashash HaHiver early recording materials. Levi notes that in those days it was the only channel and they would perform there for free on the condition that it was a single-use recording. Noting a document ratifying his statement to Moshe Gavish (chairman of the authority) – signed by various relevant television managers Arnon Zucherman, Moti Kirschenbaum, Rafi Ginat and others – he demanded that the content be transferred to the "Gashash" Members and producer as it was their intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
.
Filmography
- Sinaia (1962) - as Enemy Pilot
- Sallah Shabati (1964) - as Shimon Shabati
- Moishe Ventilator (1966)
- FortunaFortuna (film)Fortuna aka Seduced in Sodom aka The Girl from the Dead Sea a 1966 film directed by Menahem Golan. It was released in the United States in 1969 in a dubbed version.-Plot:...
(1966) - Ervinka (1967) - as Friedrich
- HaShehuna Shelanu (1968)
- HaMatara Tiran (1968)
- Kol Mamzer Melekh (1968)
- Hitromamut (1970)
- Givat Halfon Eina Ona (1976) - as Mr. Hasson
- Hamesh Meot Ellef Shachor (1977)
- Shlager** (1979)
- Kohav Hashahar (1980)
- HaKrav Al HaVa'ad (1986)
- Esti Ha'mechoeret** (TV series, 2003) - as Elvis Ben-David
- Elvis, Rosental, VeHaIsha Hamistorit** (TV series, 2005) - as Elvis Ben David
- Elvis** (TV series, 2006) - as Elvis Ben David
** also a performer on the soundtrack.
Notable stage acts
- HaTarnegolim (1960–1963)
- HaGashash HaHiver (1963–2000)
- Yeshayahu Chapter 2 (2005)
HaGashash HaHiver shows
- "Simhat Zkenti" (Nov. 1964) Directed by Shaike Ophir
- "Plan Dalet" (April 1966) Directed by Shaike Ophir
- "Sinema Gashash" (June 1967) Directed by Nissim Aloni
- "Quintette for Shuwarma" (July 1969) Directed by Nissim Aloni
- "Cassius Clay vs. Khalphon" (1971) Directed by Yossi BanaiYossi BanaiYossi Banai was an Israeli performer, singer, actor, and dramatist.-Biography:Banai was born in Jerusalem, and grew up in the neighborhood of the Mahane Yehuda market...
- "Offside Story" (1974) Directed by Yossi BanaiYossi BanaiYossi Banai was an Israeli performer, singer, actor, and dramatist.-Biography:Banai was born in Jerusalem, and grew up in the neighborhood of the Mahane Yehuda market...
- "Ovdim Aleinu Avoda Ivrit" (1977) Directed by Yossi BanaiYossi BanaiYossi Banai was an Israeli performer, singer, actor, and dramatist.-Biography:Banai was born in Jerusalem, and grew up in the neighborhood of the Mahane Yehuda market...
- "Kreker vs. Kreker" (1980) Directed by Yossi BanaiYossi BanaiYossi Banai was an Israeli performer, singer, actor, and dramatist.-Biography:Banai was born in Jerusalem, and grew up in the neighborhood of the Mahane Yehuda market...
- "Beavur Khoken Dollarim" (1985) Directed by Moti KirschenbaumMoti Kirschenbaum-Biography:Kirschenbaum was born in Kfar Saba in 1939. He studied in Pardes Hanna Agricultural High School. He served in the parachuted Nahal unit of the IDF. From 1962 to 1968 he studied film and television in UCLA....
(written by Danni Reve) - "Koson Ruakh" (1991) Directed by Yossi BanaiYossi BanaiYossi Banai was an Israeli performer, singer, actor, and dramatist.-Biography:Banai was born in Jerusalem, and grew up in the neighborhood of the Mahane Yehuda market...
- "Gashash and goodbye" (2000)
References.
Discography
- Soundtracks and collections by the Gashash Hahiver
- Shaike Levi (solo album - 1999)
External links
- Shaike Levi on Century Guide to the Hebrew Thetre
- Story about Shaike Levy on 'Tales of Givat Brenner'
- Resume for HaGashash HaHiver, Receivers of the Israeli award for 5760 (Hebrew year), Israeli Ministry of Education.
- Sipurim Im Rotev (Stories with Sauce) on bookme.co.il.
- Trailer for Kohav Hashahar (1980)
See also
- List of Israel Prize recipients