BREAKING NEWS

Veteran Israeli composer Nurit Hirsh to be awarded Israel Prize

Veteran Israeli musician and composer Nurit Hirsh will be awarded the Israel Prize for Hebrew songs and folk art, the Education Ministry announced on Sunday.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett approved the recommendation of the prize committee headed by Dr. Natan Shachar and offered his praise to Hirsh, who is famed for her numerous songs including Be-Shanah ha-Ba’ah (Next Year) and Oseh Shalom bi-Mromav.  The other members of the prize committee included: Prof. Shalom Tzabar and musicians Corinne Allal and Shlomi Shabat.
“When we say about someone that they are the soundtrack of this country, without a hint of exaggeration, we mean Nurit Hirsh,” Bennett said of the decision. “Nurit Hirsh is the old and good land of Israel, the land of Israel that during hard times you can hum her works and remember who we are and why we are here.”
The Israel Prize is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually on Independence Day in a state ceremony in Jerusalem in the presence of the president, the prime minister, the Knesset speaker and the Supreme Court president.