Hebrew popular music developed through overlapping stages: songwriters such as Naomi Shemer composed for singers and military ensembles; IDF entertainment troupes performed new material for soldiers and radio audiences; and performers including Arik Einstein, Shalom Hanoch, and Kaveret carried Hebrew lyrics into rock. These were connected chapters, not a single movement led by one institution.
Naomi Shemer wrote for performers and ensembles
Born at Kibbutz Kinneret in 1930, Shemer became a poet, composer, and songwriter whose work included hundreds of songs for military bands, vocal ensembles, and leading Israeli singers. The National Library of Israel preserves her papers, scores, recordings, and correspondence in its Naomi Shemer Archive. Songs such as “Lu Yehi,” “Eucalyptus Grove,” and “Jerusalem of Gold” show the range of her writing, from intimate reflection to public song. The Library’s Naomi Shemer collection makes recordings and manuscript material available.
Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek’s request for songs about the city led Shemer to write “Jerusalem of Gold” for the 1967 Independence Day song contest. Shuli Natan performed it. The song described Jerusalem before the Six-Day War; Shemer added a stanza after Israeli forces entered the Old City in June. The National Library’s account of the song’s commission, first performance, and added verse documents how quickly it became a hit.
Military troupes joined service and popular entertainment
The IDF’s entertainment troupes performed songs, sketches, and group numbers for troops. Shemer herself served in the Nahal entertainment troupe, and later wrote material for military ensembles. Their performances circulated songs beyond the stage: the National Library’s sound archive holds thousands of Hebrew song recordings made for Kol Yisrael broadcasts in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The Library describes its music and sound archive and the recordings it preserves.
Military service was one route into public performance, not a prerequisite for success. The troupe system brought singers and actors before large audiences, while commercial records, radio, clubs, and collaborations created other paths. Artists who later became associated with rock inherited an established Hebrew song culture and changed its instrumentation and arrangements.
Rock bands changed the sound of Hebrew song
Arik Einstein moved from vocal groups and entertainment work into a solo career that helped popularize rock arrangements in Hebrew. His collaborations with Shalom Hanoch produced the 1969 album Shablul, whose electric guitars and band sound marked a shift from orchestral and ensemble arrangements. Hanoch continued as a songwriter, performer, and solo artist. Kaveret, formed in 1973 by musicians including Danny Sanderson and Gidi Gov, combined rock instrumentation with comic Hebrew lyrics and theatrical performance.
These careers show how Israeli rock grew from a musical ecosystem rather than a clean break with earlier song. Shemer’s songs remained part of the repertoire; military ensembles trained and exposed performers; and rock musicians adapted Hebrew songwriting to newer sounds. For later styles, see Mizrahi music and Israeli sound.