Yoram Taharlev

Taharlev died on 6 January 2022, at the age of 83 after a battle with cancer.

His interpretations are highly regarded by both secular and religious communities. His book, Al Birkey Avot" (perush to 'Pirkey Avot') was among the biggest sellers in 2016. His book Simchat Tora is a humorous commentary of all the 'Torah portions of the week'.

In 2016, at the Haifa Children's Theatre Festival, "The First Kiss" (Hebrew: הנשיקה הראשונה HaNeshika HaRishona) based on Taharlev's earlier works, won first place in the youth category. Taharlev was also awarded a token of recognition by the Haifa Theatre Company.

Taharlev wrote many children's songs for the Israeli Children Songs Festival such as "My Family" (Hebrew: המשפחה שלי HaMishpacha Sheli) for Shlomo Nitzan, "Barba'aba" (Barbapapa) and "Mr. Apchi" for Tzipi Shavit, "We Won't Stop" (Hebrew: לא נעצור Lo Naatzor) and "Come Back Romance" (Hebrew: שובי רומנטיקה Shuvi Romantica) sung by Yardena Arazi and "Donald Duck" by Mike Burstein. "The Way to the Village" (Hebrew: הדרך אל הכפר HaDerech El HaKfar) was written for Rivka Zohar based on her life from childhood until her return to Israel after a harsh drug ordeal in the United States. The song was composed by Nurit Hirsh for the Festigal in 1985 where it won first place. A year later, Taharlev and Hirsh wrote "Piece of Heaven (God's Plot of Earth)" (Hebrew: חלקת אלוהים Helkat Elohim) which was also performed by Zohar and won first place.

The song "With His Hands He Will Bring" (Hebrew: על כפיו יביא Al Kapav Yavi), originally sung by Rivka Zohar, was written after an encounter with an unemployed carpenter, in a poor neighbourhood, who was sitting in his empty workshop with the hope of building a chair for the prophet Elijah who would come and redeem him from his troubles. His song "Hora" (Hebrew: הורה), sung by Avi Toledano, won second place at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1982.

Yoram Taharlev was born on Kibbutz Yagur to Yaffa Yitzikovitz and the author and poet Haim Taharlev. During his military service, he served as a reporter for the army newspapers Bamahane Gadna and Bamahane Nahal. In 1963, Taharlev met poet Nurit Zarchi while they were philosophy majors at Tel Aviv University. In August 1963, they married. They had two daughters, artist Roni Taharlev and Arela. At the beginning, Taharlev and Zarchi lived in kibbutz Yagur, where their elder daughter Roni was born, but later moved to Petah Tikva and from there to Rishon LeZion and eventually to Tel Aviv. After thirteen years of marriage, they separated. In 1978, Taharlev then married Linda, a United States citizen. Together they had a son, Daniel, and a daughter, Michal. Linda died in 2011. In 2014 he married a third time, to Batia Keinan, an ex-spokesperson for President Ezer Weizman.

Many of Taharlev's songs were written from his childhood experiences in kibbutz Yagur among which are "The Mountain That Is Always Green" (Hebrew: ההר הירוק תמיד HaHar HaYarok Tamid) written about Mount Carmel near Yagur, "Four in the Afternoon" (Hebrew: ארבע אחר הצהריים Arba Ahar HaTzhorhayim) about life in the kibbutz, "In The Grove Near The Trough" (Hebrew: בפרדס ליד השוקת Ba-pardes la-yad ha-shoket) written about the tree groves where he worked and to which he often went to be by himself, and "Shade and Water from the Well" (Hebrew: צלומי באר Tzel u-mei be'er), about an incident in 1945 during which a group of immigrants were brought to Yagur after their release from a detention camp in Atlit to hide from the British. In the song he wrote "He whose hut has fallen, let him enter through the door silently and stay forever."

Yoram Taharlev (Hebrew: יורם טהרלב; 24 January 1938 – 6 January 2022) was an Israeli poet, lyricist, and author. He wrote lyrics for hundreds of songs recorded by prominent composers and performers.

Taharlev wrote love songs, patriotic songs, songs about nature and about friendship and humorous songs. His song "Ammunition Hill" (Hebrew: גבעת התחמושת‎ Givat Hatachmoshet) is among many that struck a chord with the public due to its authentic description of the battle at Jerusalem's Ammunition Hill during the Six-Day War. "Be My Friend, Be My Brother" (Hebrew: היֵה לי חבר היֵה לי אח‎ Heye li Haver Heye li Ach) is about friendship and "The Ballad of Yoel Moshe Salomon" (Hebrew: הבלדה על יואל משה סלומון‎ HaBalada Shel Yoel Salomon) sung by Arik Einstein, which starts off with the words "On a humid morning in 1878" (Hebrew: בבוקר לח בשנת תרל"ח BeVoker lach bi-shnat tarlach) is a description of an episode in Israeli history (the founding of the town of Petah Tikva).