Naomi Shemer, poet, composer, songwriter, and winner of the Israel Prize, was born to Meir and Rivka Sapir in Kibbutz Kinneret on July 13, 1930. As a poet and composer, she was one of the pillars of Hebrew song, and wrote and composed hundreds of songs for military bands, vocal ensembles, and the leading male and female singers in Israel. Her songs have become an integral part of the soundtrack of Israeli society.
Discover the stations of Naomi Shemer’s life—from the Sea of Galilee to Tel Aviv, via New York and Paris—in sound, musical scores, photographs and video recordings, items from her personal archive, selected songs, and various materials relating to her creative work.
The Naomi Shemer Archive is one of over 250 private archives of Israeli and Jewish composers in the National Library of Israel’s Music Department. Naomi Shemer’s archive sits alongside archives of leading composers of Hebrew music such as Moshe Wilensky, Sasha Argov, David Zehavi, Dov (Dubi) Seltzer, Mordechai Zeira and many others.
Naomi Shemer’s archive, whose catalog number in the Music Department isMus 0250, was donated to the National Library of Israel by her family in late 2010. The archive comprises 17 different categories: manuscripts of Naomi Shemer’s poems, correspondence, materials related to the song “Jerusalem of Gold,” personal records and documents, photographs, press clippings, as well as other materials linked to Naomi Shemer and her work. The process of sorting, arranging, and cataloging the collection was completed in 2012, after which the entire print and audio archive underwent digitization.
Naomi Shemer’s archive is one of the richest collections in the Music Department and reflects her status as the one of the most prominent poets and songwriters in Israeli history. Her powerful connection with her audience is reflected in letters, drawings, and other works that were sent to her over the years. This correspondence also tells the story of the State of Israel from the 1950s right up until the current era. Even after her death, the archive continues to serves as a source of inspiration for both researchers and artists.
Naomi Shemer’s songs have become an integral part of the soundtrack of Israeli society. Below you can listen to special performances of these beloved songs.
Discover Naomi Shemer’s beloved and familiar poems and songs in her handwritten manuscripts and notes.
Documents from various periods of Naomi Shemer’s life—certificates, handwritten speeches, and more.
Photographs from different periods in Naomi Shemer’s life, from her childhood and adolescence in Kibbutz Kinneret, her first and second marriages, her children Lali Shemer and Ariel Horowitz, performances, and more.
Due to copyright restrictions, the images may only be viewed only on the National Library of Israel premises.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014, the National Library of Israel
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