Dan Ben-Amotz (; April 13, 1924 – October 20, 1989) was an Israeli radio broadcaster, journalist, playwright, and author, as well as a former

Palmach The Palmach (Hebrew: , acronym for , ''Plugot Maḥatz'', "Strike Phalanges/Companies") was the elite combined strike forces and sayeret unit of the Haganah, the paramilitary organization of the Yishuv (Jewish community) during the period of th ...

member. Despite having immigrated from Poland in 1938, he was often considered the epitome of the "

Sabra Sabra may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Sabra (character), a fictional Israeli female superhero in the Marvel Comics universe * Sabra (magazine), a Japanese magazine for men * ''Sabra Command'' the original title of the film ''Warhead'' * ...

", a native born Israeli

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

Biography

Moshe Tehilimzeigger (later Dan Ben-Amotz) was born in Równe (then in Poland, now in Ukraine). He was sent to the

British Mandate for Palestine The Mandate for Palestine was a League of Nations mandate for British administration of the territories of Palestine and Transjordanwhich had been part of the Ottoman Empire for four centuriesfollowing the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in Wo ...

by his parents in 1938. His parents were murdered in the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

. In Palestine he was sent to

Ben Shemen Youth Village Ben Shemen Youth Village (, ''Kfar HaNo'ar Ben Shemen'') is a youth village and agricultural boarding school in central Israel. Located near Ben Shemen and Ginaton, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Modi'in Regional Council. In it had a ...

, where his counselor was

Shimon Peres Shimon Peres ( ; ; born Szymon Perski, ; 2 August 1923 – 28 September 2016) was an Israeli politician and statesman who served as the prime minister of Israel from 1984 to 1986 and from 1995 to 1996 and as the president of Israel from 2007 t ...

. He changed his name to Moshe Shimony and later to Dan Ben-Amotz, feeling the latter had the right

sabra Sabra may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Sabra (character), a fictional Israeli female superhero in the Marvel Comics universe * Sabra (magazine), a Japanese magazine for men * ''Sabra Command'' the original title of the film ''Warhead'' * ...

sound. Reinventing his personal history to portray himself as a true native sabra, Ben-Amotz claimed to be an orphan who had relatives in some of the older

Zionist Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...

settlements. In the 1940s, Ben-Amotz served in the Palmah and joined the

Palyam Palyam (, an abbreviation of ''Plugat HaYam'' (), ) was the marines of the Palmach. History Palyam was set up in April 1945 as the Palmach's tenth company (Pluga Yud) which originated from the Palmach's Naval Platoon. The Company's first command ...

during the 1947–48 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine.

Media and literary career

Amotz spent the years of the

1948 Arab-Israeli War Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...

in Europe as a national emissary. After the war he worked for a short while as a Paris correspondent for Israeli papers. He then traveled to the United States and went to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

. He made friends with

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia''

and Blackie Dammett,

Anthony Kiedis Anthony Kiedis ( ; born November 1, 1962) is an American musician and lead vocalist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis and his fellow band members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Kiedis spent his youth in ...

's father, and had a small part in ''

A Streetcar Named Desire ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of pe ...

'' (1951). In the 1950s Ben-Amotz returned to Israel. He was the star of the radio show "Three Men in a Boat", a weekly

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...

review that became the country's most popular show, and wrote regularly for Israeli newspapers. In 1956 he published ''A Bag of Fibs'' with

Haim Hefer Haim Hefer (; 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 consi ...

, a collection of tall stories from the Palmah

folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...

, which gained cult status. According to the

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

, "Ben-Amotz was one of the pioneers in the revival of modern Hebrew from a

dormant language An extinct language or dead language is a language with no living native speakers. A dormant language is a dead language that still serves as a symbol of ethnic identity to an ethnic group; these languages are often undergoing a process of re ...

of prayer and study. He authored a dictionary of Hebrew

slang A slang is a vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in everyday conversation but avoided in formal writing and speech. It also often refers to the language exclusively used by the members of pa ...

and wrote articles and novels that shocked many Israelis with their frankness." Memorial plate on dan ben amotz house

In the 1980s he was diagnosed with

liver cancer Liver cancer, also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy, is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary in which the cancer starts in the liver, or it can be liver metastasis, or secondar ...

. When his disease became known to the public, he also brought to light the truth about his personal history. He made a much-publicized trip to Poland that included a tour of

Auschwitz Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...

. On April 8, 1989, he held a farewell party at the "Hamam" club in

Jaffa Jaffa (, ; , ), also called Japho, Joppa or Joppe in English, is an ancient Levantine Sea, Levantine port city which is part of Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, located in its southern part. The city sits atop a naturally elevated outcrop on ...

, to which he invited 150 acquaintances. The invitees included

Amos Keinan Amos Kenan (), also Amos Keinan (May 2, 1927 – August 4, 2009), was an Israeli columnist, painter, sculptor, playwright and novelist. Biography Amos Levine (later Kenan) was born in south Tel Aviv. His parents were secular socialists. His ...

(a former rival),

Amos Oz Amos Oz (; born Amos Klausner (); 4 May 1939 – 28 December 2018) was an Israeli writer, novelist, journalist, and intellectual. He was also a professor of Hebrew literature at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. From 1967 onwards, Oz was a pro ...

Meir Shalev Meir Shalev (; 29 July 1948 – 11 April 2023) was an Israeli writer and newspaper columnist for the daily Yedioth Ahronoth. Shalev's books have been translated into 26 languages. Biography Shalev was born in Nahalal, Israel. Later he lived ...

Gila Almagor Gila Almagor Agmon (; born Gila Alexandrowitz; July 22, 1939) is an Israeli actress, film star, and author. In Israel, she is known as "queen of the Israeli cinema and theatre". Biography Gila Alexandrowitz (Almagor) was born in Petah Tikva to Je ...

Yaakov Agmon Yaakov Agmon (; 24 June 1929 – 16 December 2020) was an Israeli theater producer, manager, and director. Biography Yaakov Agmon grew up in Tel Aviv, and was a member of the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement. He later moved to Kibbutz Harel, Isra ...

Shlomo Artzi Shlomo Artzi (; born 26 November 1949) is an Israeli folk rock musician, composer, music producer, radio host and singer-songwriter. He is one of the most popular and successful musicians in Israel. Biography Shlomo Artzi was born on Moshav ...

Yosef Lapid Joseph "Tommy" Lapid (; born Tomislav Lampel sr-Cyrl, Томислав Лампел 27 December 1931 – 1 June 2008) was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav-born Israeli radio and television presenter, playwright, journalist, politician and Ca ...

Yehudit Ravitz Yehudit Ravitz ( ; born December 29, 1956) is an Israeli singer-songwriter, composer, arranger, and music producer. Active since the 1970s, she is considered one of the prominent figures in Israeli popular music. Music career Ravitz was born in ...

and

Nurit Galron Nurit Galron ( , born March 21, 1951) is an Israeli singer. She is married to Israeli TV and radio journalist . Biography Early life Nurit Galron was born as Nurit Klimburd. Her mother, Leah Sitin, retired from the stage after being a sin ...

. After the party he made a trip to the US, to say goodbye to his children from his first marriage. He died in 1989 in

and was survived by two sons and two daughters. His funeral was held on October 22. On January 11, 1992, journalist

Amnon Dankner Amnon Dankner (; February 5, 1946 – April 5, 2013) was an Israeli newspaper editor and author. He was the editor of the mass-circulation daily ''Maariv'' for six years. Biography Amnon Dankner was born in Jerusalem. His parents were the owner ...

published a biography of Ben-Amotz, in which he argued that Ben-Amotz had incest with his mother when he was thirteen. He also claimed that in his last years, Ben-Amotz had forced himself on underage girls he would pick up in Jaffa. These claims led to a police investigation of some of Ben-Amotz's friends. The book stirred a scandal. Some saw it as exploding the myth of Dan Ben-Amotz, while others saw it as an attempt to gain financially from exploiting Ben-Amotz's legacy by spreading groundless criticism against Ben-Amotz, and many of Ben-Amotz's relatives, who were also Dankner's friends, threatened to file a

libel suit Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...

against Dankner and broke off contact with him.

Published works

''Parents Meeting'' (1962) was

semi-autobiographical An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...

short story about the hardships of the new immigrants in an Israeli boarding school in the

Yishuv The Yishuv (), HaYishuv Ha'ivri (), or HaYishuv HaYehudi Be'Eretz Yisra'el () was the community of Jews residing in Palestine prior to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. The term came into use in the 1880s, when there were about 2 ...

. The screenplay for the movie ''Siege'' (1968), in which he also acted, dealt with the difficulties that a war widow faces in militaristic Israeli society. His novel ''To Remember, To Forget'' (1968) revealed some autobiographical motifs – the protagonist is a young man who lost his family in the Holocaust and attempted (by changing his name) to re-create himself as a true sabra. In the book, Ben-Amotz tried to confront such questions as his European past and German guilt over the Holocaust. In 1972 he published his dictionary of Hebrew

, which he co-wrote with Netiva Ben Yehuda. The novel ''Does Not Give a Damn'' (1973) told of a soldier who was wounded in battle and his rehabilitation efforts. Netiva Ben-Yehuda

Novels

*Lizkor lishcoah. 1968; as ''To Remember, to Forget', 1968. *Lo sam zayin 'Does Not Give a Damn'' 1973. *Ziyunim zeh lo ha-kol: Roman mafteah le-lo man'ul (''Screwing Isn't Everything''). 1979. *Ziyunyune ha-derekh: Roman mafteah le-lo man'ul (sequel to Ziyunim zeh lo ha-kol). 1980.

Short stories

*Arba'ah ve-'arba'ah: Sipurim 'Four and Four: Stories'' 1950. *Sipurim poh sipurim sham. 1982.

Plays

*Tefos kamah she-atah yakhol (Seret-metah-meforash) 'Catch As Much You Can''(screenplay). 1975; as Mishak yeladim othing to It 1982. *Tel-Aviv ha-ketanah: Hizayon 'Little Old Tel-Aviv'' with Hayim Hefer. 1980. *'Al 'akhbarim va-anashim, with Ehud Manor, adaptation of ''Of Mice and Men'' by John Steinbeck (produced 1990).

Screenplays

*Matzor iege with Gilberto Tofano, 1968 *Sheloshah yamim ve-yeled, with Uri Zohar and Amatsia Hiouni, adaptation of a story by A. B. Yehoshua, 1976.

Other

*Yalkut ha-kezavim, with Hayim Hefer. 1956. *Mah nishma' 'What's New'' 1959. *Ekh la-'asot mah 'How to Do What'' 1962. *Milon olami le-'ivrit miduberet 'The World Dictionary of Hebrew Slang''(2 vols.), with Netiva Ben-Yehuda. 1972, 1982. *Yofi shel milhamah. 1974. *Keri'ah tamah; Sifrutek 'Reflection in Time'' 1974. *Nashim kotvot le-Dan Ben-Amots: Bi-teguvah le-sefer "Ziyunim zeh lo ha-kol," with Varda Rasiel Jackont (correspondence). 1980. *Sipurei Abu-Nimer 'Stories and Fables from Arab Folklore'' 1982. *Sefer ha-felots veha-shikhehah, with Donald Wetzel and Martin Riskin. 1985. *Kelil tif'eret ha-melitsah (dictionary and reader of 19th century Hebrew). 1986. *Ten hiyukh: Metav ha-kezavim she-lo hikhzivu ba-'itonut hatseva'it, with Ze'ev Anner and Dani Kerman. 1989. *Editor, with Shlomo Shva, Erets Tsiyon Yerushalayim. 1973. *Translator, with Amnon Dankner, Adif melafefon 'al hagever mi-pene she, (''Why Cucumbers are Better Than Men'' by M. L. Brooks). 1985.

References

External links

* "A new documentary seeks to tell another story of Dan Ben Amotz after a shocking posthumous biography erased his legacy." *

Yehonatan Geffen Yehonatan Geffen (; 22 February 1947 – 19 April 2023), also known as Yonatan Gefen, was an Israeli author, poet, songwriter, journalist, satirist and playwright. Early life and education Geffen was born in moshav Nahalal. In 1965, he serv ...

reading a poem during Ben-Amotz's farewell party in April 1989: "The organizers asked me to write a song of mourning. What came out was a song of envy. A song of envy for Dan, who succeeded in accomplishing what most people ask for. To live directly across from the sea. Against all the rules. And to screw anything that moves - including flags." effen Interrupts reading to hug Ben-Amotz.Geffen: "You hear about his conquests, and you become yellow with envy. Tell me, when does he have time to write? After all the young women and divorcees, he still runs over to stick it to the sacred cows." {{DEFAULTSORT:Ben-Amotz, Dan 1924 births 1989 deaths People from Rivne Israeli novelists Israeli male dramatists and playwrights Palmach members Aliyah Bet activists 20th-century Israeli Jews Polish emigrants to Mandatory Palestine Israeli people of Polish-Jewish descent 20th-century Israeli novelists 20th-century Israeli dramatists and playwrights Maariv (newspaper) people 20th-century Israeli journalists Deaths from liver cancer in Israel Israeli satirists Satirical radio show creators