Tonight with Yehoram Gaon

Kazablan, singer of “In the Orchard by the Trough,” member of The Yarkon Bridge Trio, head of the Mossad, The Joker, Adam from A.B. Yehoshua’s The Lover, Mosh’ke from the adaptation of Yoram Kaniuk’s Vultures & Dead Flesh, Yoram from the iconic sitcom Krovim Krovim (“Near Ones, Dear Ones”), Silvan from Sabri Maranan, star of I Am a Jerusalemite!, radio presenter, political right-winger, a symbol of nonpartisan unity, a family man, a lone wolf, a father, and an orphan—all of these are roles Yehoram Gaon has played, parts of his life story. Like Shoshana Damari, Shaike Ophir, Yossi Banai, and Arik Einstein, Yehoram is a giant of Israeli culture, and like theirs, his story is the story of Israel itself.

There is, however, one key difference—he is still with us. May he live long and well.

Yehoram is a complicated figure. The public views him as a dignified, imposing living monument, or a stately Jerusalemite singer, yet few are aware of his wild youth, his reclusive nature, his sharp wit, or his real social and political views. As one of the pillars of our culture, his life is inextricably tied to the very essence of what it means to be Israeli, and that essence is as much a part of him as he is a part of it. Yet despite hundreds of interviews, he has never faced the truly difficult questions. Now, he is ready, and the viewers are about to meet a Yehoram they have never known—untamed and uninhibited, youthful, incisive and direct. Despite being lauded and showered with admiration, he lives a solitary life, far from the public eye, in splendid isolation. 

For the very first time, the camera turns its focus to Yehoram Gaon the man, not the legend. In this intimate, cinematic one-man show, he shares his story—our story—with those who grew up on his songs and the numerous films and shows he starred in, as well as those too young to remember them.