Naomi Shemer

Naomi Shemer (Hebrew: נעמי שמר; 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 unofficial second anthem after Israel won the Six-Day War that year and reunited Jerusalem.

Naomi Shemer
Background information
Birth name	Naomi Sapir
Born	(1930-07-13)July 13, 1930 Kvutzat Kinneret, Palestine
Died	June 26, 2004(2004-06-26) (aged 73) Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
Genres	World, Israeli Folk
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals, piano
Spouses	Gideon Shemer ​ ​ (m. 1954; div. 1968)​ Mordechai Horowitz ​ ​ (m. 1969; died 2004)​

Naomi Shemer's childhood home in Kvutzat Kinneret. This was one of the first 3 houses to be built and populated in 1929

Early life

Naomi Sapir (נעמי ספיר) was born to Rivka and Meir Sapir (Sapirov), Lithuanian Jewish immigrants to Palestine, in Kvutzat Kinneret, a kibbutz in Mandatory Palestine that her parents helped to establish. In 1935, Shemer and her mother visited Vilnius, where they met Meir Sapov's sister Berta and her family. Shemer's European relatives were later killed during The Holocaust.

Encouraged by her mother, Naomi started playing the piano at the age of six.

After graduating from high school, Shemer postponed her mandatory military service, despite the opposition of some fellow kibbutz members, to study music. Shemer began her music studies at the Israeli Conservatory in Tel Aviv-Yafo before continuing at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. She studied under notable teachers, including Paul Ben-Haim, Frank Pelleg, Abel Ehrlich, Ilona Vincze-Kraus, and Josef Tal.

After Shemer completed her music studies, she returned to Kvutzah Kinneret and worked as a children's music teacher. Shemer created some of her earliest works during this period, such as "The Mail Arrived Today" and "Our Little Brother" (Yafa Yarkoni recorded them years later on her album "Songs from the Sea of Galilee" about her brother Yankale).

Naomi Shemer

In 1951, after a deferment of about 4 years, she enlisted in the IDF, where she served as a pianist in the Nahal.

Songwriting career

After being released from the army, Shemer wrote songs for the theater. She collaborated with composer Yochanan Zarai on the musical Pshita Bakfar (later known as Hamesh-Hamesh or "Five-Five"), for which she wrote lyrics under the pen name S. Carmel. Her well-known tunes from the musical include Tarnegol Ben-Gever, Rav Ha'Or VeHa'Tchelet, and Shir HaBar. Following that, she wrote tunes forHa'Ikar VeBat Ha'Ikar (The Farmer and the Farmer's Daughter) at the Ohel Theater.

Chaim Topol invited Shemer to write songs for the newly-formed band Batzal Yarok. Her first song for the group, Mishirei Zemer Noded (better known as Haderech Aruka Hi Varba), written in 1957, achieved great success and is considered her first hit. Her autobiographical song Noa, was also included in the band's first revue. For the show Daber El Hakir, staged at the Sambation Theater in 1958, she wrote and composed the song Halayla Holech Ba'Sderot, which was performed by Shimon Israeli in the play.

Shemer wrote several successful songs for Israeli military ensembles including Chamsinim Bameshlat, and Hakol Biglal Masmer (based on For Want of a Nail). During the same period, she wrote the lyrics for the Dudaim songs Kibui Orot and Shayarat Harokvim, under the pen name "Alifaz." Additionally, Shemer wrote Ir Levanah, performed by the singer Loolik in a short film about Tel Aviv-Yafo.

The house of Naomi Shemer

In 1958, Shemer wrote Hopa Hey for an Israeli army program on Kol Israel. Two years later, the chorus won first prize in a competition in Italy. In 1960, she wrote Bessadeh Tiltan for the Northern Command Band, Leil Emesh performed by Shaike Levi, and Shir Hashuk for the play Aseret Hatzadikim which was recorded by HaTarnegolim in 1961. At the end of 1960, Shemer embarked on a nine-month tour in the United States. In 1962, she wrote Achrei Hashkiaa Basadeh for the Shiriyon Men's Choir. Later, she collaborated with the Nahal Band on songs like Machar (Tomorrow), Mitriyah Beshnayim (Umbrella for Two), and Mahboim (Chapes Oti) (Hide and Seek).

In 1963, Shemer wrote Hurshat HaEcalyptus about Kvutzat Kinneret for the musical Keytzad Shovrim Chamsin. The song was later covered by Ishtar. The same year, she composed the music for the song Kinneret (also known as Sham Harei Golan) written by Rachel Bluwstein, for the Central Command Band.

In 1964, she wrote songs for the Yarkon Bridge Trio's debut album First Love, including Ahavat Poalei Habinyan, Serenade Lah, Ayelet Ahavim, and Layla Bachof Achziv, which was also featured in the movie Dalia and the Sailors. That year, Shemer traveled to Paris with her daughter. There, she wrote songs reflecting prominent chansonnier influences, such as Ha'ir Be'afar for the Yarkon Bridge Trio, and wrote Hebrew lyrics for French songs such as Ilu Tziporim (originally by Jean-Pierre Calvet and Jean Broussolle), Shilgiya (originally by Guy Béart), and Ein Ahavot Smechot (originally by Georges Brassens). Several of these lyrical adaptations were recorded by Yossi Banai.

After Shemer returned to Israel, the producer Asher Havaquin approached her in 1966 and suggested forming a female quartet. Shemer established The Shemer Sisters which consisted of Dina Golan, Dalia Oren, Amna Goldstein, and Ruthy Bikal. Batya Strauss served as the musical director. The quartet's program included Begani, Zemer, and Shiro Shel Aba. Financial difficulties ultimately caused the quartet to disband.

Yerushalayim Shel Zahav

One of the peak moments in Shemer's musical career was in 1967 when she wrote the song Yerushalayim Shel Zahav (Jerusalem of Gold). The song was written in response to Teddy Kollek, the Mayor of West Jerusalem, commissioning Shemer to write a song about the city to be perfumed out of competition at that year’s Israel Song Festival at the International Convention Center. Shuli Natan, a relatively unknown singer, was chosen at Shemer's daughter Lali's recommendation. The song was a major success, eliciting an enthusiastic response from the audience.

Three weeks after the song’s debut at the festival, the Six-Day War broke out, resulting in the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli control. Shemer added a new verse to the song celebrating Israel's victory. In the months after the war, the song gained immense popularity and became a kind of unofficial anthem, with some suggesting it should replace the national anthem.

According to Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers in Israel, there are over 300 versions of the Yerushalayim Shel Zahav. Along with Natan's original recording, notable cover versions have been made by Shemer herself, Ofra Haza, Yafa Yarkoni, and Ran Eliran. It has been translated into many languages, including by Yafa Yarkoni in Spanish) and David Eshet in Yiddish. Osnat Paz's recorded a rendition on his children's record My Land of Israel.

In May 2005, Haaretz reported that Shemer admitted in a letter to Gil Aldema that she plagiarized Paco Ibáñez's cover of the Navarerrese folk song Pello Joxepe while composing the melody for "Jerusalem of Gold". During her lifetime, Shemer denied allegations of plagiarism related to the melody of Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, referring to its similarity with Paco Ibáñez as an “unfortunate accident.” Shemer stated that the controversy caused her significant distress. Hebrew song researcher Eliyahu Hacohen did not view the resemblance as plagiarism but rather as an acceptable influence in the songwriting process. In 1962, Paco Ibáñez performed "Pello Joxepe" in Israel, when Shemer might have heard it.

Since the release of Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, Shemer has been regarded by many as Israel's “national songwriter,” seen as embodying Israel’s spiritual values and sentiments through her music, though she may not have viewed herself in this way.

From the Six-Day War to Yom Kippur War

Naomi Shemer in Jerusalem, 1967

At the beginning of 1968, Shemer published her first book, All the Songs, which included 42 of her songs, 34 of which were published for the first time.

In March 1968, she received an honorary degree from the Women's Organization of Yeshiva University for Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, which she received at a festive dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan. Following the ceremony, she embarked on a concert tour that lasted several weeks, visiting major cities in the United States and Canada.

image - Eucalyptus grove named after Shemer

Between the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War, Shemer continued to write songs, including Shvachey Ma'oz (In Praise of Ma'oz), and Be'eretz Lahad'am ("In the Land of Thing-That-Never-Happened").

The 1967 Nahal Band album, The Nahal Soldiers Are Coming, featured the first recording of Shemer's song Valse LeHaganat HaTzomach (Waltz for the Defense of Vegetation), originally written for the Shemer Sisters.

Following a 1968 visit to Nahal settlements in the Israeli-occupied Sinai Peninsula, Shemer wrote the song BeHe'achzut HaNahal BeSinai (In the Nahal Stronghold in Sinai) for the Nahal Band. The song was performed by Miri Aloni in the band's program BeHichazut HaNahal BaSinai, which aired that year. In 1969, the Central Command Band recorded Shemer's song Anachnu Shneynu Me'otu HaKfar (We Are Both from the Same Village), which she had written three years earlier. In the same year, she composed the song Pgisha Le'ein Ketz (Endless Meeting) for the band Shlosharim.

For the program of the Israeli Navy Band's 1971 program Shirat HaYam (Song of the Sea), which aired in 1971, Shemer composed the song Al Em HaDerech (On the Crossroad) for vocalist Chaya Ard. For Chava Alberstein's 1971 program, Shemer wrote the song Shir Siyum (A Finalizing Song), based on a melody by Manos Hatzidakis. During Hanukkah of that year, Shemer returned to the Sinai Peninsula. Inspired by the visit, she wrote the song Shvahei Me’oz (Praise the Stronghold). for the Southern Command Band. The song’s opening was based on Ma'oz Tzur.

In 1972, the album "Chavurat Bimot" was released, featuring songs by Shemer such as Mar Narkis (Mr. Narcissus), Shir Eres LeMikreim Meyuchadim (A Bedtime Song for Special Cases, a lullaby for the children of divorced parents), Anashim Yafim (Beautiful People, a track about high society), and HaMakshefot (The Witches, about sensationalist journalism), Lashir Zeh Kmo Lihiyot Yarden (To Sing This is Like Being in the Jordan, performed by Miri Aloni), Be'eretz Lahad'am (In the Land of Thing-That-Never-Happened, also performed by Aloni), Arba'im (which included the lyric "I always went out with younger men and wore a bikini after the age of twenty"), and Ani Megadelat Ba'al (which included the lyric "And when I say I raised a husband, they'll send me straight to paradise"). Shemer refrained from including the latter two in her numerous collections over the years.

In the artistic section of the 1972 Melody and Song Festival, HaGashash HaHiver performed Shemer's song Yesh Li Chag (I Have a Holiday). Another Shemer song published in 1972 was a translation of Jacques Brel's song L'amour Est Mort (Love is Dead), performed by Yossi Banai.

Shemer continued to adapt popular songs into Hebrew, including Lu Yehi, an adaptation of the Beatles song Let It Be, which written shortly before the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and came to symbolize the conflict.Shemer initially wrote new lyrics to accompany the original Lennon-McCartney music, but was encouraged by her husband Mordechai Horowitz, who had fought in the war, to rewrite it with a "Jewish" melody. Shemer rewrote the melody and it became widely recorded, including by HaGashash HaHiver and Chava Alberstein, who featured it as the title track on one of her albums.

1973-1991

Thought the 1970s, Shemer continued to compose songs for a variety of artists including Nathan Alterman (Pgisha Le'ein Ketz, Sapanei Shlomo HaMelech, Al Em HaDerech, HaEm HaShlishit), Shaul Tchernichovsky (Ba'aliyati Sham Yafati, Omrim Yeshna Eretz), Hayim Nahman Bialik (Kumi Tzei) and Avraham Shlonsky ("Betchul HaShamayim"). She translated songs by the Yiddish poet Itzik Manger (including Al HaDerech Etz Omed), and continued writing songs based texts from various sources (for example Shirat Ha'Asavim was inspired by Nachman of Breslov and Akedat Yitzhak by the Book of Genesis).

For Yehoram Gaon's 1973 album Ahava Yam Tikhonit (Mediterranean Love), Shemer composed the song Kumi Tzei, originally written by Hayim Nahman Bialik.

In 1974, Shemer released an children's songs, which included several hits including Aleph Bet and Shlomit Bonah Sukkah, originally performed by Ilana Rovina and Dudaim three years earlier. Most of the record's songs were first performed in a children's show presented by Shemer and Oded Teomi. Also in 1974, Yossi Banai recorded Shemer's song Sfirat Mlai (Cargo Counting) for his solo show Partzuf Shel Tzo'ani (Face of a Gypsy).

In 1976, Shemer wrote the songs for a musical adaptation of The Travels of Benjamin III. Several of the songs gained widespread popularity, including Perot Chamisha Asar, Siman She'od Lo Heganu, and Shirat Ha'asavim (The Song of the Grass). For the "Hebrew Melody Celebration" held that year, Shemer wrote the song HaChagiga Nigmeret (The Celebration Ends), performed by Hakol Over Habibi. Additionally, in the same year, she wrote the song Bekol Shana Be'Setav Giora, performed by Ruhama Raz, in memory of Yom Kippur War victim Giora Shoham.

In 1976, Yehoram Gaon recorded Shemer's song Od Lo Ahavti Dai (I Haven't Loved Enough Yet) which became a major hit. The song was initially written for a television program featuring Shemer’s music and was released as the title track of Gaon’s album. In a newspaper interview, Shemer revealed that she wrote the song while ill, fearing she might not recover. In a moment of defiance, she remarked, “There are still many things I want to do.”

For a 1976 radio program featuring the songs of Shaul Tchernichovsky, Shemer composed the music for Tchernichovsky's poem Hoy Artzi Moladeti (Oh My County, My Homeland), which was performed on the program by Shokolad, Menta, Mastik.

Between 1977 and 1979, Shemer published a personal column in Davar titled "Shavshevet" (שבשבת).

In 1978, she wrote the song "Chevlei Mashiach", which she performed herself on a television special for Israeli Independence Day.

In 1979, Nurit Galron recorded the song Atzuv Lamut Be'emtza Hatamuz, written by Shemer. The song was later included in her album Symphatia, released three years later. Also year, she composed the music for the Avraham Heffner film Parashat Winshel.

For a television program dedicated to Rivka Michaeli in 1980, Shemer wrote the song Ein Li Rega Dal which became one of Michaeli's most well-known songs. That year she also wrote the song Al Kol Eleh which was performed by Yossi Banai for the television program Yemei Tishrei and composed the song Asif with lyrics by Itamar Prat for the band Batzal Yarok 80.

In 1981, Shemer released a successful album entitled Al Hadvash Ve'al Ha'Okez (On the Honey and the Sting). The album was named for the opening lyric of Al Kol Eleh. The album also included the songs Anashim Tovim (Good People) and the Shaul Tchernichovsky track Omrim Yeshna Eretz, which she composed for the television program Yemei Kislev that same year. In the same year, for the television film El Borot HaMayim, she wrote and recorded a song of the same name.

The winners of 1983 Israel prize award ceremony, on the 35th Independence Day of Israel. From right to left - Haim Hefer, Shemer, and Moshe Wilensky

In 1983, Shemer won the Jabotinsky Medal and the Israel Prize. The judging committee for the Israeli Prize stated: "The Israel Prize for Music of Israel is awarded to Naomi Shemer for her songs, which naturally find their way into the hearts of all, due to their poetic and musical quality, the wonderful integration between lyrics and melody, and the expression they give to the whispers of the people's hearts." In addition, she was awarded an honorary degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Weizmann Institute of Science as well as an honorary citizenship of Tel Aviv-Yafo.

Shemer wrote the title track for Yehoram Gaon’s 1982 album Simanei Derekh. In 1984, she penned the song Lo Tenatzchu Oti for his album Emtza Haderakh. Also in 1984, she wrote the song Ha’Ore’ach (The Guest) for the band Hakol Over Chavivi.

From the 1970s onward, as Shemer became more outspokenly right-wing, her songs increasingly featured Jewish and traditional themes. While these themes appeared in earlier works such as Shiro Shel Aba and Lo Amut Ki Ehyeh, they became more prominent in songs like Shirat Ha’asavim and El Borot HaMayim.

By the mid-1980s, Shemer was increasingly viewed by the Israeli public as right-wing, which led some people to hold a negative public image of her, with various public figures and artists sharply criticizing her.

In 1985, Ofra Haza's album Adamah was released. Although the original plan was for Haza and Shemer to collaborate on several songs, the album ultimately featured only one song by Shemer, Hithadshut. The same year, Shemer wrote the song Tilbeshi Lavan for a joint album by the Dudaim and the Parvarim.

For Yehoram Gaon’s 1986 album Elef Neshikot, Shemer wrote and composed two songs, Dyokan Imi and Kmo Chatzav. In the same year, her song Kad HaKemach was performed by the Northern Command Band.

Starting in the mid-1980s, Shemer’s commercial success began to decline. In 1987, Shemer wrote all these songs for Moshe Beker's album Hafatzim Ishiim. While some tracks, like Guy and Tut, received considerable radio play, the album’s sales were disappointing. Shemer attributed the album's lack of success to her association with the right-wing politics.

In 1988, Shemer wrote the song Or for Shoshana Damari. Featured on Damari’s album of the same name, the song was a huge success, helping to bring Damari back into the spotlight and becoming a popular dance hit.

Final years

In 1991, after rumors circulated that Shemer was seriously ill, a tribute event titled “Encore to Naomi Shemer” was broadcast on Israel's Channel 1, produced by Dalia Gutman. The evening featured performances by numerous artists, including Chava Alberstein, Nurit Galron, Yehudit Ravitz, and Moti Kirschenbaum. One of the standout moments was the performance of Serenada Lach by Gidi Gov, Moni Moshonov, and Shlomo Baraba, arranged by Yoni Rechter. It was later revealed that Shemer’s illness was not as severe as initially thought, and fears about her death were unfounded.

In her final years, Shemer’s commercial successes were infrequent and sporadic. One standout achievement was the song Hakol Patuah, written in celebration of the Sea of Galilee. In 1993, Shemer appeared alongside Mickey Kam, Moshe Beker, Chaim Tzinoivitz, and Rina Givon in the children’s video cassette Etzelnu BaPsanter, which was based on her songs. In the video, Shemer performed Hakol Patuah with the other participants. A year later, a recorded of the song by Leah Lupatin and Ofer Levi, becoming a hit. Shemer later expressed regret that the recording was done without her knowledge, as Levi made minor errors in both the notes and lyrics.

In October 1993, for a tribute program on Channel 1 honoring singer Beni Amdursky, Shemer wrote the song Ani Guitara. The program was filmed while Amdursky was dying of cancer. After he completed his rendition of the song, Amdursky thanked Shemer for the song, and she struggled to hide her deep emotional reaction.

In 1995, following the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, Shemer translated Walt Whitman’s poem O Captain! My Captain!—written in memory of Abraham Lincoln after his assassination 130 years earlier—into the Hebrew and composed music for it. Shemer's adaptation was performed for the first time by singer Meytal Trabelsi during a commemoration of Rabin’s assassination.

A tribute evening in Shemer’s honor was held at the 1998 Israel Festival, directed by Adi Renart and featuring the participation of numerous artists.

From 2000 until her death, Shemer performed in a show of her songs titled Elef Shirim veShir, with arrangements, accompaniment, and musical direction by Rami Harel. She co-directed the show with producer and presenter Dudu Elharar, and it featured the singing and playing of Ronit Roland. For the production, Shemer wrote the songs HaMe’il, Plugat Yasmin, HaMenagen, and Aktualia.

Shortly before her death, Shemer informed producer Dorit Reuveni that she had written a new song titled Ilan, in memory of Ilan Ramon. Reuveni met with Shemer and recorded her playing the song. It was first performed during a tribute show for Shemer, held thirty days after her passing in Yarkon Park.

After Shemer’s death, several previously unreleased songs were made public. Ariel Zilber recorded Hakarish for his album Anabel. Ruhama Raz and the band Parvarim made recordings of Arvei Nahal, an English folk song that Shemer had translated. In 2020, Shemer’s song Farewell was composed for the first time by Rami Kleinstein and released as a duet performed by Kleinstein and Tal Sondak as part of Sondak’s album Shiratam.

Death and legacy

Four adjacent graves in the Kinneret Cemetery: Mordechai Horowitz (Shemer's second husband who died in 2010), Shemer, Shemer's parents Meir and Rivka Sapir

Shemer struggled with ill health throughout her life, including being diagnosed with diabetes in the 1970s. She died of cancer on June 26, 2004, the 9th of the Jewish month of Tammuz. Years before her death, Shemer wrote the song Sad to Die in the Middle of Tammuz before undergoing necessary surgery.

Shemer was buried in Kinneret Cemetery alongside her parents. At Shemer's request, Dudu Elharar sang four songs written by her at her funeral: Kinneret (Sham Harei Golan by Rachel Bluwstein), Hurshat HaEcalyptus, Lashir Zeh Kmo Lihiyot Yarden, and Noa.

A tribute to Shemer in the Eucalyptus Grove in Ramat Efal

Streets have been named after Shemer in several cities, including Kiryat Motzkin, Herzliya, Holon, Giv'at Shmuel, Be'er Ya'akov, Kiryat Bialik, Kfar Saba, and Be'er Sheva, as well as elementary schools.

In 2005, the Israel Government Coins and Medals Corporation issued silver and gold coins with her likeness.

In 2010, Shemer's family handed over her archive and artistic legacy to the National Library of Israel, which committed to making it accessible.

In 2011, a 650 m-long tunnel in Jerusalem from Mount Scopus to the Jordan Valley was renamed to honor her as Naomi Shemer Tunnel.

In 2012, Yahaly Gat’s film The Wind, the Darkness, the Water aired on Channel 1. The film explores Shemer’s works and their impact on Israeli society and culture.

Memorial plaque to Shemer on her house in Tel Aviv-Yafo

Naomi Shemer center for Hebrew poetry

In 2017, the musical Simanei Derekh (Signs of the Way) by Oren Yakobi and Giora Yahalom was staged at the Habima Theatre. The production tells the story of Shemer's life.

Monument at the Naomi Shemer viewpoint in Ein Gev

In 2021, the "Naomi Shemer Trail" was inaugurated in Ramat Gan National Park, with musical stations and explanations about the songs.

In June 2021, the production of the new song Hagvira Mul HaAgam (The Lady by the Lake), written by Yair Lapid, was completed. The song, inspired by Shemer’s life, was created to celebrate her 90th birthday. Composed by Kobi Oshrat, it was performed by Miki Gavrielov and Yigal Bashan.

In June 2022, the cast of Zehu Ze! recorded Naomi, Ela Mi, a song dedicated to Shemer, written and composed by Kobi Luria, in commemoration of the 18th anniversary of her passing.

Personal life

In 1953, Shemer (then known as Naomi Sapir) met actor Gideon Shemer at a Kibbutz Movement event in Netzer Sereni. They married in 1954 and had a daughter, Lali. The Shemers separated in 1962 and divorced in 1968. In 1969, she married Mordechai Horowitz, a lawyer. Their son is musician Ariel Horowitz.

Shemer's grave

Shemer was buried at the cemetery in Kvutzat Kinneret, alongside several Labor Zionist settlers from the second and third aliyot. In accordance with her wishes, Shemer was buried near Rachel Bluwstein.

Political views

Shemer was associated with right-wing and pro-Israeli settlement politics, especially after her marriage to Mordechai Horowitz, who had similar beliefs.

Some critics argue that "Jerusalem of Gold" erases the presence of the Palestinians who lived in East Jerusalem at the time it was written ('The market square is empty,' 'No one descends to the Dead Sea'). Shemer responded to this over the years: "It arouses terrible anger in me, this argument. It's as if a person misses his beloved, and he goes to his psychiatrist [...] and then the psychiatrist says to him, "Don't worry, she's not alone in bed"... A world that is devoid of Jews, for me, is like a dead star, and the Land of Israel, which is empty of Jews, is for me desolate and empty".

Eucalyptus grove named after the poet Naomi Shemer, near Kibbutz Kinneret

In the mid-1970s she expressed solidarity with members of Gush Emunim. During those years, she wrote A Strange Man, which she read at one of the assemblies of Gush Emunim to Sebastia, and Paranoid, expressing support for the people of Gush Emunim. Shemer's 1975 song The Shark, written against the backdrop of the signing of the Sinai Interim Agreement, describes an encounter between a shark and a sardine, where the sardine, eager for peace at any cost, is ignored by the shark. In the end, the sardine, portrayed as ‘a great diplomat,’ declares, “In exchange for an extraordinary peace, I am willing to give everything.” The shark then devours the sardine: “He spoke of peace, bared his teeth, and turned the sardine into prey.” These songs ignited public debate and received little radio airplay amidst criticism from Israeli leftists.

In July 1976, Shemer published a response to her critics in which she wrote: "A flood of curses, bans, and condemnations has been poured on me since I expressed my opinion aloud, less than a year ago... I am not a member of any party, and I am also not part of a movement for the completion of Greater Israel... I believe in the justice of Zionism. That's it".

During Israel's withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula, Shemer expressed support for the residents of Yamit. Her song Al Kol Eleh (For All These), which includes the line 'Al na ta'akor netu'a' (Please do not uproot the planted), became a symbol of the opposition to the withdrawal, although Shemer claimed it was originally written as a personal message of comfort for her sister, Ruth Novasbaum, after the death of her husband. Some claim that the lesser-known verses of the song make it evideng that the song was intended to be against the withdrawal from Sinai. After the evacuation of Yamit, realizing she could no longer have an impact, Shemer chose to refrain from further involvement in public affairs.

Awards

In 1983, Shemer received the Israel Prize for Hebrew song (words and melody).

Works

• All My Songs (Almost), 1967, published by Yedioth Ahronoth

"Tomorrow"	"On The Jordan"	"The White Town"
"A Chariot of Fire"	"Lights Out"	"Black Coffee"
"My Soldier is Back"	"Fields at Sunset"	"Green Meadows"
"Four Brothers"	"Soldiers En Route"	"A Song For Gideon"
"The Long Hike"	"The Builders' Love"	"Yesternight"
"Look For Me"	"Men At Work!"	"The Two of Us"
"We Are Starving!"	"In Such a Night"	"A Lament"
"An Umbrella For Two"	"The Clown"	"Just For You"
"My Dream House"	"Ophelia"	"Night on the Shore"
"Anniversary Song"	"The Spy-Girl"	"Answers"
"My Flute"	"A Serenade"	"A City in Grey"
"Twelve Months"	"Flowers, Herbs, Etc."	"Jerusalem of Gold"
"A Short Walk"	"The Market Song"	"On Silver Wings"
"My Fathers Song"	"Night on the Park"	"Lullaby for Colors"

• The Second Book, copyright 1975, published by Lulav

Land of Lahadam	Funny Faces	For Children
"Land of Lahadam"	"Beautiful People"	"Rosh-Hashana"
"Nachal in Sinai"	"Sixteen"	"Shlomit"
"Maoz Tsur"	"Mr. Narcissus"	"Aleph-Beit"
"The Sacrifice of Isaac"	"The Witches"	"When Adar Comes"
"Giora"	"A Special Lullaby"	"Let's Say"
"All We Pray For"	"Shem, Cham, & Yefet"	"I Have a Friend"
"A Song is Born"	"The Shark"	"On the Move"
"Things we Have"	"Paranoid"	"Summer Holiday"
"Bethlehem"	"Two Street-Photographers"	"Tall Stories"
"Why Did Michal Laugh"		"How to Break a Chamsin"
"Ruchama"
"Yesh Li Chag"
"It's Late"
"Shalom Kitah Aleph"
"To Sing Like a Jordan"

• Number Three (Sefer Gimel), copyright 1982, published by Lulav

Songs	Poems	Imported Wine	Children Everywhere	Columns from Davar
"Al Kol Eleh"	"Omrim Yeshna Eretz"	"Oifen Veg Stait a Bhoim"	"Children Everywhere"	"Shalom, Ida Nudel"
"Good People"	"Hoi Artzi Moladti"	"Si Tous les Oiseaux"	"Grapefruit"	"Pardes-Hanna"
"Shirat Ha'Asavim"	"Come & Sing"	"Le Testament"	"Autumn"	"It's Raining"
"Cheveley Mashiach"	"Kinneret"	"La Non-Demande en Mariage"	"Our Benjamin"	"Yehuda"
"Tapuach Bi'Dvash"	"Begani"	"Il n'y a pas d'Amour Heureux"	"The Piano"	"Vintage Days"
"New Babylon"	"Zemer"	"Un Amour de Vingt Ans"
"Yif'at"	"Metai"	"Les Souliers"
"Tammuz"	"Rachel"	"O Imitoos"
"Spring Parade"	"Ki Sa'art Alai"	"Sur le Chemin du Retour"
"The Eighth Day"	"The Third Mother"	"Barbara"
"Summer"	"Your Lily-White Feet"	"Dedication"
"Noa"	"A Lament"
"Zamar Noded"	"My Sudden Death"
"Landmarks"	"Let's go to the Field"
"My Town in the Snow"
"Lots of Love" - Ain Mashehu cmo zeh
"The Party is Over"
"Ein Davar"
"El Borot Ha'Mayim"

• Book Four (Sefer Arbah), copyright 1995, published by Shva Publishers

Uncategorized	6 Songs for Yehoram Gaon	11 Personal Belongings for Moshe Beker	5 Songs for Rivka Michaeli	Hebrew Versions	6 Children Songs	Lyrics for Mattai Caspi's Music
"Light"	"Kemo Katsav"	"Personal Belongings"	"Street Musicians"	"Musica"	"Chanuka"	"Shulamit"
"The Guest"	"You Can't Beat Me"	"Swan Girl"	"Global Patrol"	"Willow Songs"	"Tu Bishvat"	"Simchati"
"We Aren't There Yet"	"You're the Best"	"Old Flame"	"Not Bialik"	"Ne Me Quitte Pas"	"Pesach"	"Farewll"
"Ir Va'Em"	"Good Morning"	"Flower"	"Never a Dull Moment"		"One Little Kid"
"My Mother's Portrait"	"Libavtini"	"Prelude"	"Upside Down"
"Noga"	"Black Princess"	"Sister"
"The Bread of Love"		"Roof"
"After the Harvest"		"Gai"
"Summer White"		"Strawberry"
"The Flour Jar"		"Time"
"Pardes-Chana II"		"September First"
"I'm a Guitar"
"To Light a Candle"
"Your Sons From Afar"
"Hal'ah"
"Safed"
"On the Boardwalk"
"Shana Tova"
"It's All Open"
"Cafe Tiferet"
"My Young Disaster"
"Dancing"

See also

• Ada Aharoni
• Karen Alkalay-Gut
• Raquel Chalfi
• Hava Pinchas-Cohen
• Janice Rebibo
• Yona Wallach
• Zelda (poet)
• List of Israel Prize recipients

External links

• Obituary for Naomi Shemer, Jewish Federations
• Tikkun Toronto