Uri Zohar
Encyclopedia
Uri Zohar is a former Israel
i film director, actor, and comedian who left the entertainment world to become a rabbi
.
in 1934. In 1952, he graduated high school and did his military service in an army entertainment troupe. His first marriage ended in divorce.
By 1956, he was a popular stand-up comedian. In 1960, he studied philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
. He was sentenced to three months of community service on charges of marijuana possession.
In the 1960s, he directed and starred in Israeli films, among them A Hole in the Moon, Three Days and a Child
, Every Bastard a King
, Big Eyes and Metzitzim
. He was the first filmmaker to win the Israel Prize
, which he declined.
In the late 1970s, Zohar turned to religion, becoming a Haredi Orthodox Jew and a rabbi. In 1977, he began wearing a kippa on the television game show he was hosting. He is active in the movement to attract secular Jews to religious orthodoxy, and uses his entertainment skills to promote this objective. In the 1992 Israeli elections, Zohar directed the television broadcasts for Shas
.
In 2005, he was voted the 48th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet
to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i film director, actor, and comedian who left the entertainment world to become a rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
.
Biography
Zohar was born in Tel AvivTel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
in 1934. In 1952, he graduated high school and did his military service in an army entertainment troupe. His first marriage ended in divorce.
By 1956, he was a popular stand-up comedian. In 1960, he studied philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
. He was sentenced to three months of community service on charges of marijuana possession.
In the 1960s, he directed and starred in Israeli films, among them A Hole in the Moon, Three Days and a Child
Three Days and a Child
Three Days and a Child is a 1967 Israeli drama film directed by Uri Zohar. It was entered into the 1967 Cannes Film Festival where Oded Kotler won the award for Best Actor...
, Every Bastard a King
Every Bastard a King
Every Bastard a King is a 1968 Israeli drama film directed by Uri Zohar. The film was selected as the Israeli entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 41st Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.-Cast:* Yehoram Gaon as Yoram...
, Big Eyes and Metzitzim
Metzitzim
Metzitzim is a 1972 Israeli comedy film that has become a cult film. It was entered into the 23rd Berlin International Film Festival.The film was directed by Uri Zohar and starred Arik Einstein and Zohar himself...
. He was the first filmmaker to win the Israel Prize
Israel Prize
The Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
, which he declined.
In the late 1970s, Zohar turned to religion, becoming a Haredi Orthodox Jew and a rabbi. In 1977, he began wearing a kippa on the television game show he was hosting. He is active in the movement to attract secular Jews to religious orthodoxy, and uses his entertainment skills to promote this objective. In the 1992 Israeli elections, Zohar directed the television broadcasts for Shas
Shas
Shas is an ultra-orthodox religious political party in Israel, primarily representing Sephardic and Mizrahi Haredi Judaism.Shas was founded in 1984 by dissident members of the Ashkenazi dominated Agudat Israel, to represent the interests of religiously observant Sephardic and Mizrahi ...
.
In 2005, he was voted the 48th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet
Ynet
Ynet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.