Yisrael "Poly" Poliakov ( he, ישראל "פולי" פוליאקוב; July 7, 1941 – October 30, 2007) was an Israeli
comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing
Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...
and actor. Poliakov was born in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
, and grew up in
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
. He became one of the three members of the Israeli comedy group,
HaGashash HaHiver
HaGashash HaHiver ( he, הגשש החיוור, ''lit.'' The Pale Tracker) was an iconic Israeli comedy trio. It was also known as the ''Gashashim.'' Its three members were Yeshayahu Levi ("Shaike"), Yisrael Poliakov ("Poli") (deceased) and Gavri ...
(The Pale Tracker).
Career
Born in Jerusalem and the son of footballer
Shlomo Poliakov
Shlomo Poliakov ( he, שלמה פוליאקוב) was a History of the Jews in Russia, Russian-born Jews, Jewish footballer, who played for Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C., Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Petah Tikva F.C., Hapoel Petah Tikva and later as manager fo ...
, he originally chose a career as a farmer and studied at the
Kfar HaYarok agricultural high school. This changed when he was spotted at a school party by members of
Nahal Brigade
The 933rd "Nahal" Brigade is one of the Israel Defense Forces main infantry brigades. From August 2019 to June 2021, the brigade was led by . On June 28, was appointed as the new commander. However, three days later, on July 1, Asman suddenly ...
's entertainment
troupe
Troupe may refer to:
General
*Comedy troupe, a group of comedians
*Dance troupe, a group of dancers
**Fire troupe, a group of fire dancers
*Troupe system, a method of playing role-playing games
*Theatrical troupe, a group of theatrical performers
...
, and he was soon recruited by the group. In 1961, he joined the original singing band
Hatarnegolim (The Roosters) that had been founded by
Naomi Polani
Naomi (also "Neomi") Polani ( he, נעמי פולני; born August 4, 1927) is an Israeli musical director, theater director, singer, producer, actress, and dancer. She is the Israel Prize laureate for Theater and Dance in 2019.
Music career
Pol ...
, the original cast of which broke up in 1964.
Poliakov appeared in a number of famous Israeli films, often with members of HaGashash HaHiver. His film credits include ''
Schlager'' (The Hit) in 1979; ''Krav al Hava'ad'' (The House Committee) in 1986; and ''Givat Halfon Eina Ona'' (Halfon Hill Doesn't Answer) in 1975. He appeared in a number of Israeli television roles, and produced and acted in his daughter's television show, ''
It's All Honey''.
Poliakov began working on stage as a theater actor in 2000. His credits include ''The Israeli Family'', ''
The Rubber Merchants'', ''God's Finger'', ''
Mother Courage
Mother Courage (German ''Mutter Courage'') is a character from a Grimmelshausen novel ''Lebensbeschreibung der Ertzbetrügerin und Landstörtzerin Courasche'' (''The Runagate Courage'') dating from around 1670. The character had played a cameo r ...
'' and ''The Return of Moris Shpigelman''.
HaGashash HaHiver
Abraham "Pashanel" Deshe, a producer and
agent
Agent may refer to:
Espionage, investigation, and law
*, spies or intelligence officers
* Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another
** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuranc ...
who died of cancer in 2004 at age 78, started HaGashash HaHiver in late 1963. The group was composed of three members – Poliakov,
Yeshayahu "Shaike" Levy and
Gavriel "Gavri" Banai. They created a "unique Israeli comedy group," according to the Jerusalem Post. Their jokes, which included the best and worst of
Israeli society
The State of Israel had a population of approximately 9,506,100 inhabitants as of May 2022. Some 73.9% were Jews of all backgrounds (about 7,021,000 individuals), 21.1% were Arab of any religion other than Jewish (about 2,007,000 individuals), ...
, often achieved a
cult status
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
among fans.
In 2000, the group and its three members were awarded the
Israel Prize
The Israel Prize ( he, פרס ישראל; ''pras israél'') is an award bestowed by the State of Israel, and regarded as the state's highest cultural honor.
History
The Israel Prize is awarded annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state cer ...
for lifetime achievement & special contribution to society for their work. The judges wrote of their award decision:
The uniqueness of HaGashash HaHiver is in its two faces: On the one hand, it reflects the life and the culture that were created in Israel during its first 50 years and in the course of wars, immigration absorption and the struggle for its existence. On the other hand, it has taken an active role in shaping this culture, creating its language and sketching its identity.... Their language, Gashashit, and the images they created broke the walls of the inflexible Hebrew language and became standard idiomatic phrases, so much so that he who doesn't know them doesn't know a large part of the culture that has sprouted here. Phrases such as, 'Drive in peace, the keys are inside,' 'There was an engine?' eferring to a mechanic who cheats a client 'Israbluff' and many others that became part of our everyday language.
Death
Yisrael Poliakov died of
liver cancer
Liver cancer (also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy) is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary (starts in liver) or secondary (meaning cancer which has spread from elsewhere to th ...
at the Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in
Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva ( he, פֶּתַח תִּקְוָה, , ), also known as ''Em HaMoshavot'' (), is a city in the Central District (Israel), Central District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv. It was founded in 1878, mainly by Haredi Judaism, Haredi Jews of ...
on October 30, 2007, at the age of 66, following a two-week hospitalization for heart problems. Poliakov's coffin was taken to
Cameri Theater
The Cameri Theater ( he, התיאטרון הקאמרי, ''HaTeatron HaKameri''), established in 1944 in Tel Aviv, is one of the leading theaters in Israel, and is housed at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.
History
The Cameri theater was found ...
in Tel Aviv for a public
memorial service
A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...
, and was buried in a cemetery in
Kibbutz
A kibbutz ( he, קִבּוּץ / , lit. "gathering, clustering"; plural: kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1909, was Degania. Today, farming h ...
Einat
Einat ( he, עֵינַת) is a kibbutz in central Israel. Located near Petah Tikva and south of Rosh HaAyin, it falls under the jurisdiction of Drom HaSharon Regional Council. In it had a population of .
History
The kibbutz was founded in 19 ...
.
[
Fellow HaGashash HaHiver member Yeshayahu Levy told ]Israel Army Radio
Army Radio ( he, גלי צה"ל lit. IDF waves) or Galei Tzahal, known in Israel by its acronym Galatz ( he, גל"צ), is a nationwide Israeli radio network operated by the Israel Defense Forces. The station broadcasts news, music, traffic report ...
: "...lost a brother. There is no other word. We've been together since 1958, and he was part of me. He was a great talent, an outstanding comic actor, and a wonderful friend... The pain is great."[
Actor Moshe Ivgi, who costarred with Poliakov in ''The Rubber Merchant'', told the Jerusalem Post: "He was a great actor who was blessed with comic and dramatic qualities, and it was a pleasure to work with him. Poli was a modest and ego-free man, full of love, and I am sure he would have done so much more."][
President ]Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres (; he, שמעון פרס ; born Szymon Perski; 2 August 1923 – 28 September 2016) was an Israeli politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Israel from 1984 to 1986 and from 1995 to 1996 and as the ninth president of ...
stated "Generations upon generations watched him and fell captive to his charm".
Filmography
See also
*List of Israel Prize recipients
This is a complete list of recipients of the Israel Prize from the inception of the Prize in 1953 through to 2022.
List
For each year, the recipients are, in most instances, listed in the order in which they appear on the official Israel Prize ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Poliakov, Yisrael
1941 births
2007 deaths
Israeli male comedians
Israeli male film actors
Israeli male stage actors
Israeli male television actors
Israeli people of Russian-Jewish descent
Jewish Israeli comedians
Jewish Israeli male actors
20th-century Israeli Jews
21st-century Israeli Jews
Israel Prize for lifetime achievement & special contribution to society recipients
Male actors from Jerusalem
Deaths from cancer in Israel
Deaths from liver cancer
20th-century Israeli male actors
21st-century Israeli male actors
20th-century Israeli comedians
21st-century Israeli comedians