developing· Culture· Updated 22:03

Dana International's Legendary Manager Shai Kerem Dies at 61

Shai Kerem, the veteran personal manager, producer, and journalist who guided singer Dana International to global fame, died on Sunday at the age of 61. His family confirmed his passing, with his brother, Alon Weinstein, announcing on Facebook that the cause of death was a suspected cardiac arrest.

6 newsrooms · 2 languages · since 21:40

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What happened

01Shai Kerem, the longtime manager and producer for singer Dana International, died on Sunday at the age of 61.
02His brother, Alon Weinstein, announced his death on Facebook, attributing it to a suspected cardiac arrest.
03Kerem gave Dana International her stage name and produced her historic 1998 Eurovision-winning song Diva.
04He grew up in Petah Tikva in a religious-nationalist family, attending yeshivas and serving as a Bnei Akiva counselor.
05Kerem worked as a journalist, editing the entertainment section of HaOlam HaZeh and the youth newspaper Rosh Ivri for Yedioth Ahronoth.
06He co-created the award-winning documentary reality series Dana Kama and appeared on reality shows like The Winning Kitchen VIP.
07Kerem was recognized as a prominent figure in the Israeli entertainment industry and the LGBTQ+ community.

Born Shai Weinstein to a religious-nationalist family in Petah Tikva, Kerem grew up attending yeshivas and was active in the Bnei Akiva youth movement. He began his career in journalism, working as the entertainment editor for the weekly magazine HaOlam HaZeh and later editing the youth newspaper Rosh Ivri for Yedioth Ahronoth. In the 1990s, he began his long-term collaboration with Dana International, giving her the stage name "International" and serving as the artistic director and producer for her historic 1998 Eurovision Song Contest victory with the song "Diva."

Following the Eurovision win, Kerem left his journalistic work to manage Dana International full-time. Over the decades, he became a prominent figure in the Israeli entertainment industry and the LGBTQ+ community. He co-wrote the song "Kacholo K'an" for the 2008 Eurovision, served as a judge on the television program "Yeshnan Banot" in 2014, and co-created the documentary reality series "Dana Kama," which won an Israeli Television Academy Award. He also appeared with Dana International on reality shows such as "The Winning Kitchen VIP" and "The Next Star."

Summarized by baba from the reports of 5 newsrooms. Updated 21:56