Meet Israel's Poets, Frost and Dickinson

Before the establishment of the State of Israel until the present day, there have been many poets who have created beautiful and rich pieces of poetry.

Do you recognize any of the Israeli poets below?

נַפְתָּלִי הֵרְץ אִימְבֶּר - Naftali Herz Imber

1878

"הַתִּקְוָה" - "Hatikva"

The first two stanzas of this poem have become Israel’s national anthem.

חַיִּים נַחְמָן בְּיָאלִיק - Haim Nahman Bialik

1891

"אֶל הַצִּפּוֹר" - "El Hazipor"

The first published poem by Israel’s national poet.

שָׁאוּל טַשֶּׁרְנחוֹבְסְקִי - Shaul Tchernichovsky

1893

"בְּעֵין דּוֹר" - "Be'eyn Dor"

One of Tchernichovskys many Hebrew ballads dedicated to King Saul.

רָחֵל הַמְּשׁוֹרֶרֶת - Rachel the Poetess (Rachel Bluwstein)

The 1920s

"זֶמֶר נוֹגֵה" - "Zemer Noge"

She is considered a monumental Hebrew poetry classic.

נָתָן אַלְתֶּרְמַן - Nathan Alterman

1938

"עוֹד חוֹזֵר הַנִּגּוּן" - "Od Hozer Hanigun"

לֵאָה גּוֹלְדְּבֵּרְג - Leah Goldberg

1948

"דִּירָה לְהַשְׂכִּיר" - "Apartment for Rent"

A famous Hebrew children’s book, that every Israeli kid knows.

יְהוּדָה עַמִּיחַי - Yehuda Amichai

1955

"עַכְשָׁו וּבַיָּמִים הָאֲחֵרִים" - "Achshav Uvayamim Ha'acherim"

One of the most important books in Israeli poetry.

נָתָן זַךְ - Nathan Zach

1981

"כִּי הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה" - "Ki Ha'adam Ez Hasadeh"

A mainstay of Israeli music.

יוֹנָה ווֹלַךְ - Yona Volach

1982

"תְּפִלִּין" - "Tefillin"

A well-known, yet very controversial poem that caused quite a storm when it was first published.

Here's a fun fact!

The currency in circulation in Israel currently features a different Israeli poet on each bill.