Musician Nurit Hirsh wins B’nai B’rith citation
Award recognizes veteran songwriter’s contribution, via the arts, to fostering Israel-Diaspora relations
A special citation will be conferred by the B’nai B’rith World Center upon Israeli musician and composer Nurit Hirsh in recognition of her contribution to fostering Israel-Diaspora through the arts. The citation will be presented on Sunday, June 29, in recognition of Hirsh’s contribution to Jewish and Israeli culture, both in Israel and around the world.
The citation will be presented at the B’nai B’rith World Center’s 22nd annual awards Recognizing Excellence in Diaspora Reportage that will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem. Winners of the award for 2014 are Matan Hodorov, chief economic correspondent for Channel 10 News, and Judy Maltz, senior writer for Haaretz. A Lifetime Achievement Award in memory of Luis and Trudi Schydlowsky will also be presented to David Horovitz, founding editor of The Times of Israel and former editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post and The Jerusalem Report for his dedication to extended Diaspora reportage over a 30-year career.
Hirsh, B’nai Brith noted, has represented the State of Israel around the world for over 50 years through more than 1,500 of her songs “and many moving performances in which she brought great honor to the State of Israel. Her songs have been published in a collection of six books and thirteen CDs. Many of her songs are popular in Diaspora communities and serve as a bridge, a language and a source of shared identity between Israel and Jewish communities around the world, between the communities and within the communities themselves.”
Hirsh, the citation went on, “chooses the lyrics to her songs from the Bible, prayer and Israeli poets in addition to personal songs reflecting universal themes. Her songs have been translated to many languages including English, Spanish, Japanese, Greek, Turkish, and Korean, and are sung all over the world.”
Hirsh, who was born in Tel Aviv in 1942, is famed for her music for such songs such as Ba-Shanah ha-Ba’ah (Next Year, lyrics by Ehud Manor), and Oseh Shalom bi-Meromav. She also wrote the scores for 14 Israeli movies, among them “Lupo!,” “Katz and Karasso,” “Behind Walls” and Ephraim Kishon’s “The Policeman,” which was nominated for best foreign picture at the 1972 Academy Awards.
