Batzal Yarok (; (lit. Green Onion) was an Israeli theatre and entertainment troupe founded in 1957 by ex-members of the IDF army ensemble,

Lehakat HaNahal Lehakat HaNahal (Hebrew: להקת הנח"ל; lit. ''The Nahal Band'', also known in English as the ''Nahal Entertainment Troupe'') is the musical military ensemble of the Nahal program of the Israel Defense Forces. Established in November 1951 a ...

History

Among those who wrote songs for the group was

Sasha Argov Alexander "Sasha" Argov (; born Alexander Abramovich; Moscow, 26 October 1914 – Tel Aviv, 27 September 1995) was a prominent Israeli composer. Life and career Argov was born Alexander Abramovich in Moscow, Russia in 1914. Later he changed h ...

. It was one of the most well-known entertainment troupes in

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

in the late 1950s and early 1960s. One of the founding members of Batzal Yarok was

Uri Zohar Uri Zohar ( ; 4 November 1935 – 2 June 2022) was an Israeli film director, actor and comedian who left the entertainment world to become an orthodox rabbi. Biography Uri Zohar was born in Tel Aviv. His parents were History of the Jews, Polis ...

Chaim Topol Chaim Topol (; 9 September 1935 – 8 March 2023), mononymously known as Topol, was an Israeli actor and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of Tevye, the lead role in the stage musical ''Fiddler on the Roof'' and the Fiddler on the Roof ...

performed with the group from 1960 to 1964.

Ephraim Kishon Ephraim Kishon (; August 23, 1924 – January 29, 2005) was a Hungarian-born Israeli author, dramatist, screenwriter, and Academy Award, Oscar-nominated film director. He was one of the most widely read contemporary satire, satirists in Israel a ...

wrote several satirical skits for Batzak Yarok.

Naomi Shemer Naomi Shemer (; July 13, 1930 – June 26, 2004) was a leading Israeli musician and songwriter, hailed as the "first lady of Israeli song and poetry." Her song " Yerushalayim Shel Zahav" ("Jerusalem of Gold"), written in 1967, became an unoffic ...

wrote the texts for the first performance of Batzal Yarok in 1957. Her song ''Zamar Noded'' (Wandering Troubadour) was also written for the troupe.

Shows

* ''Shmor Al HaGvul'' (Guard the Border) - This show was produced by the founders of the troupe before the end of their military service * 1957: ''Kvisat HaRash'' (The Poor Man's Laundry) - A pun with the Hebrew words ''Kvisa'' (Laundry) and ''Kivsa'' (Sheep), referencing the biblical

parable A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, that illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, whe ...

employed by Nathan the Prophet to condemn the relationship between

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

and

Bathsheba Bathsheba (; , ) was an Kings of Israel and Judah, Israelite queen consort. According to the Hebrew Bible, she was the wife of Uriah the Hittite and later of David, with whom she had all of her five children. Her status as the mother of Solomon ...

. * 1958: ''Hop Avarnu'' (Hop! We Moved) * 1959: ''Af Mila LeMorgenstein'' (Not a Word to Morgenstein) - This show became the basis for a movie with the same name, filmed in 1963. * 1959: ''Ve... Shalosh Nekudot!'' (And ... Three Points!) * 1960: ''Chatul BaSak'' (Cat in the Sack).

Troupe members

- Vocals,

direction Direction may refer to: *Body relative direction, for instance left, right, forward, backwards, up, and down ** Anatomical terms of location for those used in anatomy ** List of ship directions *Cardinal direction *Bearing (navigation) Mathemat ...

* Ilana Rovina - Vocals * Yona Atari - Vocals * Shimon Israeli - Vocals *

Nechama Hendel Nechama 'Nama' Hendel (; 22 August 1936 – 30 September 1998) was an Israeli singer. Biography Nechama Hendel was born in the Rehavia neighborhood of Jerusalem. Her parents, Michael and Chana immigrated to Palestine from Poland. Her father ...

- Vocals *

Zaharira Harifai Zaharira Harifai (; December 12, 1929 – January 2, 2013) was an Israeli film, stage, and television actress and recipient of the Israel Prize in Theater, which she was awarded in 2003. ''The Jerusalem Post'' called her "one of Israel's most ce ...

- Vocals * Gabi Amrani - Vocals * Yosef Oreg -

Accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...

and Galya Topol - Vocals * Eliahu Barkai - Vocals *

Oded Kotler Oded Kotler (; born 5 May 1937) is an Israeli actor and theatre director. He is best known for his role in the film '' Three Days and a Child'' (1967), for which he received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor The Best Actor Award ( ...

- Vocals * Ruti Atias - Vocals * Avraham Mor - Took part only in the first show. * Nira Adi * Aliza Kashi *

Arik Einstein Arieh Lieb "Arik" Einstein ( ; (3 January 1939 – 26 November 2013) was an Israeli singer, songwriter, actor, comedian and screenwriter. He was a pioneer of Israeli rock music and was named "the voice of Israel." Through both high public and c ...

* Shai Danon * Martin Brecher -

Trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

* David Elshayach - Drums and percussion * Shmuel Bonim

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Green Onion (Band) Musical groups established in 1957 Musical groups disestablished in 1961 Israeli musical groups

History

Shows

Troupe members

See also

References