# 34 – Naomi Shemer

June 27, 2004

I live in an interesting part of an interesting country. The neighbourhood has many ‘names’ among its inhabitants. One was a little lady, wearing a long smock (to hide her chubbiness), pushing her trolley carefully around the supermarket. I did chat to her a few times; was initially introduced to her by Sonia Peres, wife of Shimon, a closer neighbour.

Naomi was the ‘Queen of Israeli Song’. Her music and words, more than any other’s, were part of the land, the soil.

Her most famous song, ‘Jerusalem of Gold’, has become a people’s anthem.

She wrote the Hebrew words for the Beatles’  ‘Let it Be’, called ‘Lu Yehi’. She was persuaded to write a new tune to the words, and the country took the tune to its heart.

When it was known that Nathan Sharansky was eventually being let out of the USSR and would soon be arriving in the land of his dreams, they asked Naomi to write something. She replied that she’d had the song ready for 10 years, keeping it under lock and key for that special day. And there, at the airport reception it was performed, causing much emotion.

Her songs were the sing-a-long type. There were many children’s songs. Everyone knew something of hers.

Naomi suffered from cancer for many years. She appeared to have recovered. Sonya told me some time ago that the problem had not gone away.

Yesterday she died. Her funeral was today. Just 4 songs were sung, 2 of which were hers. She had asked that there were to be no eulogies.

The leader of the Al Aqsa Brigade was killed yesterday – normally front page news. But today it was pushed to page 5.

We loved our queen.

Stephen