Uri Zohar (Hebrew: אורי זוהר; 4 November 1935 – 2 June 2022) was an Israeli film director, actor and comedian who left the entertainment world to become an Orthodox rabbi.[1]
Uri Zohar was born in Tel Aviv. His parents were Polish Jewish immigrants.[2] In 1952, he graduated high school and did his military service in an army entertainment troupe. His first marriage, to singer Ilana Rovina, ended in divorce.[3]
In 1960, he studied philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was sentenced to three months of community service on charges of marijuana possession.[4] In the late 1970s, under the influence of Yitzhak Shlomo Zilberman, Zohar turned to religion, becoming a Haredi Orthodox Jew and a rabbi.[5]
He was a close friend of Arik Einstein, with whom he made some of his most noted films. Einstein’s two daughters married Zohar’s sons.[6]
He died at the age of 86 on 2 June 2022.[8] He was survived by his second wife Eliya Shuster, a former actress who had participated in a film he directed, their seven children and numerous grandchildren.[2]
Entertainment and film career
Uri Zohar at the microphone, performing with the Lool group for soldiers during the Yom Kippur War (1973)
After his discharge from the army, Zohar became one of the founding members of the theatre and entertainment troupe Batzal Yarok, which was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s.[9] In the 1960s, Zohar directed and starred in Israeli films, among them Hole in the Moon, Three Days and a Child, Every Bastard a King, Big Eyes and Metzitzim. He directed 11 full-length films as well as a number of short movies and episodes of the television series "Lool" (Chicken Coop).[10] When Israel Television went on air, he became a program host and appeared in commercials.[2][9]
Zohar as a rabbi
In 1977, he began wearing a kippa on the television game show he was hosting.[4] He eventually withdrew entirely from Israel's popular culture scene to become a Haredi Jew and began to study in yeshiva. He became a rabbi in Jerusalem and immersed himself in Biblical scholarship.[11][9] He became active in the movement to attract secular Jews to religious orthodoxy, and used his entertainment skills to promote this objective.[12] In the 1992 Israeli elections, Zohar directed the television broadcasts for the Shas party.[13] He later directed a film about a successful dancer who embraces Orthodox Judaism, mirroring his own story. The film was a success with Ultra-Orthodox audiences. Zohar had enlisted the help filmmmakers Dani Rosenberg and Yaniv Segalovich to make it, and Rosenberg and Segalovich in turn made a documentary about him.[14][15]
When asked in an interview about how he regarded his former career in entertainment, Zohar said that "I respect it, the way a mature adult remembers his childhood. But there's no escaping the fact that I was a child."[11]
Awards and recognition
In 1976 he was awarded the Israel Prize for cinema, which he declined.[16] In 2012, Cinémathèque Française in Paris held a retrospective of Zohar's work. The event included lectures and screenings of all his major films. Zohar was described as one of Israel's most interesting film directors due to his exploration of manhood and machismo, male-female relationships and the impact of the military.[17]
^Hadar, Alon (23 August 2007) "Goodbye to All That", Haaretz. "After Ponovezh I went to the yeshiva of Rabbi Zilberman, where Uri Zohar studied, in the Old City of Jerusalem."
^Steinberg, Jessica. "Former film personality Uri Zohar dies at 86, after decades as ultra-Orthodox rabbi". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
zohar, hebrew, אורי, זוהר, november, 1935, june, 2022, israeli, film, director, actor, comedian, left, entertainment, world, become, orthodox, rabbi, zohar, 1960sborn, 1935, november, 1935tel, aviv, mandatory, palestinedied2, june, 2022, 2022, aged, jerusalem,. Uri Zohar Hebrew אורי זוהר 4 November 1935 2 June 2022 was an Israeli film director actor and comedian who left the entertainment world to become an Orthodox rabbi 1 Uri ZoharZohar in the 1960sBorn 1935 11 04 4 November 1935Tel Aviv Mandatory PalestineDied2 June 2022 2022 06 02 aged 86 Jerusalem IsraelEducationHebrew University of JerusalemOccupation s Rabbi film director comedian writerYears active1956 1988Notable workHole in the MoonThree Days and a ChildThe HeroSpouseEliya Zohar Contents 1 Biography 2 Entertainment and film career 3 Awards and recognition 4 Published works 5 Filmography 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksBiography Edit Uri Zohar in They Call Me Shmil Uri Zohar was born in Tel Aviv His parents were Polish Jewish immigrants 2 In 1952 he graduated high school and did his military service in an army entertainment troupe His first marriage to singer Ilana Rovina ended in divorce 3 In 1960 he studied philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem He was sentenced to three months of community service on charges of marijuana possession 4 In the late 1970s under the influence of Yitzhak Shlomo Zilberman Zohar turned to religion becoming a Haredi Orthodox Jew and a rabbi 5 He was a close friend of Arik Einstein with whom he made some of his most noted films Einstein s two daughters married Zohar s sons 6 Zohar was one of the founding members of Ma ale Amos Later he resided in Jerusalem 7 He died at the age of 86 on 2 June 2022 8 He was survived by his second wife Eliya Shuster a former actress who had participated in a film he directed their seven children and numerous grandchildren 2 Entertainment and film career Edit Uri Zohar at the microphone performing with the Lool group for soldiers during the Yom Kippur War 1973 After his discharge from the army Zohar became one of the founding members of the theatre and entertainment troupe Batzal Yarok which was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s 9 In the 1960s Zohar directed and starred in Israeli films among them Hole in the Moon Three Days and a Child Every Bastard a King Big Eyes and Metzitzim He directed 11 full length films as well as a number of short movies and episodes of the television series Lool Chicken Coop 10 When Israel Television went on air he became a program host and appeared in commercials 2 9 Zohar as a rabbi In 1977 he began wearing a kippa on the television game show he was hosting 4 He eventually withdrew entirely from Israel s popular culture scene to become a Haredi Jew and began to study in yeshiva He became a rabbi in Jerusalem and immersed himself in Biblical scholarship 11 9 He became active in the movement to attract secular Jews to religious orthodoxy and used his entertainment skills to promote this objective 12 In the 1992 Israeli elections Zohar directed the television broadcasts for the Shas party 13 He later directed a film about a successful dancer who embraces Orthodox Judaism mirroring his own story The film was a success with Ultra Orthodox audiences Zohar had enlisted the help filmmmakers Dani Rosenberg and Yaniv Segalovich to make it and Rosenberg and Segalovich in turn made a documentary about him 14 15 When asked in an interview about how he regarded his former career in entertainment Zohar said that I respect it the way a mature adult remembers his childhood But there s no escaping the fact that I was a child 11 Awards and recognition EditIn 1976 he was awarded the Israel Prize for cinema which he declined 16 In 2012 Cinematheque Francaise in Paris held a retrospective of Zohar s work The event included lectures and screenings of all his major films Zohar was described as one of Israel s most interesting film directors due to his exploration of manhood and machismo male female relationships and the impact of the military 17 Published works EditMy Friends We Were Robbed 18 Waking Up Jewish 19 Filmography EditThe True Story of Palestine he 1962 Hole in the Moon 1964 Moishe Ventalator he 1966 Three Days and a Child 1967 Every Bastard a King 1968 Hitromamut 1970 The Hero 1971 Metzitzim 1973 Ha Tarnegol 1973 20 Big Eyes he 1974 Hatzilu Et HaMatzil 1977 21 See also EditCinema of IsraelReferences Edit Gershon Shafir Yoav Peled 2002 Being Israeli p 148 ISBN 0 521 79672 5 a b c Famed actor turned rabbi Uri Zohar dies at 86 Cashman Greer Fay 18 October 2020 Arts pioneer Ilana Rovina dies The Jerusalem Post JPost com Retrieved 5 December 2020 a b Despair and Deliverance Hadar Alon 23 August 2007 Goodbye to All That Haaretz After Ponovezh I went to the yeshiva of Rabbi Zilberman where Uri Zohar studied in the Old City of Jerusalem Back from Black Uri Zohar Returns Jerusalem Post Sarare 2 June 2022 BDE HaRav HaGaon Uri Zohar Z tl Head Of Lev L Achim Mezake HaRabbim The Yeshiva World Retrieved 2 June 2022 Anderman Nirit 2 June 2022 Uri Zohar Israeli Comedian turned rabbi Dies at 86 Haaretz Retrieved 2 June 2022 a b c Israel mourns passing of cultural icon turned rabbi Uri Zohar Uri Zohar Israeli Comedian turned rabbi Dies at 86 a b Uri Zohar avant garde Israeli director turned rabbi dies What I learned from a Jewish Movie Star Steinberg Jessica Former film personality Uri Zohar dies at 86 after decades as ultra Orthodox rabbi www timesofisrael com Retrieved 2 June 2022 Back from black Uri Zohar returns Zohar The Return Zohar Uri in Hebrew The Guide to One Hundred Years of Hebrew Theatre Retrieved 3 November 2016 French Cinematheque to honor Uri Zohar with retrospective Haaretz Zohar Uri 1994 My Friends We Were Robbed Feldheim ISBN 978 0 87306 701 0 Waking Up Jewish www bookdealers co za Retrieved 2 June 2022 Uri Zohar Israeli Comedian turned rabbi Dies at 86 Haaretz Retrieved 2 June 2022 Comeback Mission 7 June 2022 External links EditExcerpt from My Friends We Were Robbed Uri Zohar s official website in Hebrew Uri Zohar The Inventor of Modern Israeli Cinema Archived speeches on TorahAnytime com Uri Zohar on National Israel News Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Uri Zohar amp oldid 1110044012, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
