Yerushalayim Shel Zahav

Born in Kvutzat Kinneret, Naomi Shemer began her musical career leading communal song at the kibbutz as a child; the first songs she composed were for children. During her service with the Israel Defense Forces, Shemer wrote several songs for the Central Command troop. After she left the army, Shemer continued to compose songs for a variety of Israeli singers, many of which described the natural beauty of Israel’s landscape. Shemer’s songs gained wide popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, most notably following the 1967 and 1973 wars. Shemer’s songs remain popular today.