HEFER (Feiner), ḤAYIM

HEFER (Feiner), ḤAYIM (1925– ), Israeli writer of light verse and song lyrics. Born in Poland, Hefer went to Palestine in 1936, served in the Palmaḥ from 1943, and was one of the founders of Chizbatron, the army's popular entertainment troupe. His verse appeared widely in the Hebrew press, and he also wrote lyrics for satirical works for various theater groups and for literary programs in cabarets which he established together with dahn ben-amotz . Collections of his verse appeared in Taḥmoshet Kallah (1956), Millim le-Manginot (1962), and Sefer ha-Pizmonim (1981). Many Israeli composers, such as Alexander (Sacha) argov , Dov Seltzer, moshe vilensky , nurit hirsch , mordechai zeira and Yoḥanan Zarai set his songs to music and they became quite popular. A series of poems on the six-day war , including those he wrote for his weekly column in Yedioth Aḥaronoth, appeared in Misdar ha-Loḥamim (1968). He also wrote the lyrics for two original Hebrew musicals Kazablan (1966) and I Like Mike (1968). He was awarded the Israel Prize for Israeli song in 1983. (Getzel Kressel)