Festival of Song and Verse Returns to Stage After 66 Years

The Festival of Song and Verse (Pestival HaZemer VeHaPizmon) is set to return for a one-night tribute performance on December 1st at the Heichal HaTarbut in Tel Aviv. The event will be hosted by Yehoram Gaon, who won first place in the 1969 festival with the song "Ballad for a Medic." Special guest performer Ilanit will also appear, alongside artists including Avi Toledano, Ilana Avital, Dafna Armoni, Yizhar Cohen, Miri Aloni, Natan Slur, Silvan and Yair, the Sexta band, Irit Dotan, and Shuli Natan.

The program will feature classic songs such as "Therese de Mon's Love," "Hava Nagila," "On the Way Back," "Song for a Holiday Evening," "You," and "Born for Peace." Archival footage from past festivals will be screened between performances.

During the evening, a special tribute will be paid to Hanoch Hasson, who produced most of the festival's editions. Acknowledgment will also be given to Afi Nitzer, composer of "Ballad for a Medic," who led public singing during vote counts in many festivals. The Festival of Song and Verse, which ran from 1960 to 1980 as part of Independence Day celebrations, launched the careers of many artists and produced numerous classic songs. In its later years, it also served as the selection platform for Israel's Eurovision entry.