Galia Yishai

Galia Yishai ( he, גליה ישי; 17 May 1950 – 4 January 2020) was an Israeli actress of film, stage and television and singer. She began performing from the age of 16-and-a-half on the radio programme ' and acted on stage at most of Israel's repertoire theatres such as the Habima Theatre, the Bimot Theatre, the Cameri Theater, Haifa Theatre and Beit Lessin Theater. Yishai acted in several film and television programmes from 1971 to her death in 2020.

Early life and education

On 17 May 1950, Yishai was born in Tel Aviv. Her mother worked in advertising and her father was an Etzel fighter who co-established the Freedom Movement. Yishai had two siblings and grew up in Tel Aviv. Following her graduation from high school, she went to the Beit Zvi School for the Performing Arts.

Career

Yishai began her career at the age of 16-and-a-half when she earned acceptance to perform on the radio show ' and performed a song in the programme's chorus troupe. She was a military graduate of the Central Command Band, having spent three-and-a-half years there, and performing in its ' programme in 1969. Yishai then continued to study acting at Tel Aviv University and in New York.

Upon being released from the Central Command troupe, Yishai joined the cast of the Habima Theatre. She also worked in most Israeli repertoire theatres, including with the Bimot Theatre, the Cameri Theater, Haifa Theatre and Beit Lessin Theater. Yishai had roles in such plays as ', ''Was a Graceful Man'', '' The Crazy of Jaffa'', ''Peer Gynt'', ''Everything is Relative'', ''Crazy those who are not crazy'', ''Finance'', ''All My Sons'', ''Quo Vadis'' as well as the children's play '' Puss in Boots''. In 1970, she joined the female Fourth Girls of the Theater Club troupe and performed alongside Hana Laszlo, and Adi Lev and also worked opposite her friend . Yishai also performed on stage in foreign countries such as France, Switzerland and the United States.

Yishai was a writer of songs, and was signed to the CBS Records International record label. She participated in the , in the "Carousel" collection performing the song ''So Scattered''. She performed in the centenary events of Ben-Gurion Day, won first prize performing the song ''Aya'' in the and was at the Barby Club in Tel Aviv in 2005 as a stage rock singer. Yishai lent her voice as the narrator of classical music records for children such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, Richard Strauss and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and with the actor , was on the classical children's records ''Trip in the Land of the Notes'', ''Tiff and Taff Numbers'' and ''Klesitaf''. She authored a children's illustrated poet book, ''Ketesh Choshem'', in 1979. Yishai was a member of the .

She also worked as an actress in both film and television. Yishai portrayed Naomi in the 1971 film ', '' Kinneret Kinneret'' in 1974 and ' in 1977. She and Mor were part of the programme Moment and Waves for several years. In 1981, Yishai played in ', ' in 1984, had an appearance as herself in ''Rechov Sumsum'' in 1986, the educational role of Pingy in ''Parpar Nechmad'' in 1997, a member of the adoption committee in ''Ramat Aviv Gimel'' in the same year, in ' two years later, Crocodile Toffee in Sophie Toffee in 2001, in ' in 2003, Tzila in ''The Heart of Amalia'' in 2005, the principal in ''Ha-Chaim Ze Lo Hacol'' the following year, ' and played the role of Yael in ' both in 2007, and portrayed the part of Yair's mother '' Five Men and a Wedding'' in 2008.

In 2009, she played the part of a witness in ''Weeping Susannah'', Dina in ' and Sigal Varicose Veins in '. Yishai was cast as Mirabelle in ' and as a teacher in ' in 2010, the mother of Avery in ''Srugim'' two years later, the school principal in ''Hunting Elephants'' in 2013, Ruthie Silesh in ' in 2014 and as Celine in ''Inertia'' a year later. During 2016, she played the part of Dalia Metzger in ', Dikla in ', Nehama Resnik in ' and was in '. Yishai played Smadar in ' and Light in '' The Good Cop'' in 2017. She went on to portray Eve in and in ' both in 2018 as well as Yona in ', Dalia Cassuto in ' and was in ' in 2019. Yishai's final two roles were as Ilana in ' and was in ''The Great Special Thing'' both of which were broadcast in 2020.

Death

On 4 January 2020, aged 69, Yishai died at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, approximately one month after being diagnosed with cancer. Her funeral took place at Yarkon Cemetery in Petah Tikva on the afternoon of the following day.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Yishai, Galia
1950 births
2020 deaths
Actresses from Tel Aviv
Musicians from Tel Aviv
20th-century Israeli actresses
21st-century Israeli actresses
20th-century Israeli women singers
21st-century Israeli women singers
Tel Aviv University alumni
Israeli puppeteers
Israeli film actresses
Israeli television actresses
Israeli stage actresses
Deaths from cancer in Israel
Burials at Yarkon Cemetery
Female puppeteers