Moshe Hillel, 'The Singing Paratrooper,' Dies at 81
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Singer Moshe Hillel, known as "The Singing Paratrooper," has died at age 81. He had been hospitalized for four years following a fall. Hillel served in the Paratroopers, gained fame with "The Boy with the Banjo," and participated in numerous song festivals. He also acted in the film "Kazablan" and performed during the Yom Kippur War. After a break from performing to work in business, he returned to music and won a revival festival in 2020.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Singer Moshe Hillel, "The Singing Paratrooper," died at age 81.
- He was hospitalized for four years after a fall before his passing.
- Hillel served in the IDF's Paratroopers Brigade.
- He rose to fame with the hit song "The Boy with the Banjo."
- Hillel participated in multiple Israeli song festivals, winning in 1976.
- He also acted in the film "Kazablan" and performed during wartime.
Moshe Hillel, the singer known as "The Singing Paratrooper," passed away today at the age of 81. For the last four years, he had been hospitalized in the Ataret Rimmonim geriatric facility following a fall, according to his wife, Sarit. She described daily visits and her pleas for him to recover, recalling a moment yesterday when he smiled and kissed her hand. Hillel was born in Petah Tikva, orphaned at a young age, and raised in Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael. He served in the Paratroopers Brigade in the IDF before beginning his performing career at "Hama'am" club in Jaffa, where interviewer Dan Ben Amotz and Uri Zohar nicknamed him "The Singing Paratrooper." He gained fame with the song "The Boy with the Banjo." In 1971, he performed "Yaakov HaTamin" (also known as "Do Not Fear Israel") at the Oriental Song Festival, securing third place. He participated in the festival multiple times, earning second place in 1972 with "Beauty is Not the Point." Hillel also acted in the 1973 film "Kazablan," portraying a mohel, and performed a verse in the song "We Are All Jews." During the Yom Kippur War, he sang "On Three Sins of Damascus" with the Golani Brigade's entertainment troupe. In 1976, he won first place in the annual song chart with "Chag Li." His last participation in the Oriental Song Festival was in 1982. Hillel released records featuring festival songs and other hits like "The Matador" and "Shadow of Your Body." He also performed in the musical "Mazal Dagim" and sang the theme song "Stolen Life" for the film "Abba Ganuv." In the 1980s and 1990s, he owned pubs and clubs, performing his songs before joining the company Ituran in 1996, where he worked for eight years. After leaving Ituran, he returned to performing. In 2020, Hillel won the "Next Song" festival, a revival of the legendary song festivals, and received a special award there two years later.
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