HaGashash HaHiver

HaGashash HaHiver (Hebrew: הגשש החיוור‎, lit. The Pale Tracker) was an iconic Israeli comedy trio. It was also known as the Gashashim. Its three members were Yeshayahu Levi ("Shaike"), Yisrael Poliakov ("Poli") (deceased) and Gavriel Banai ("Gavri").

right to left: Gavriel Banai ("Gavri"), Yeshayahu Levi ("Shaike"), Yisrael Poliakov ("Poli")
right to left: "Poli", "Shaike", "Gavri"

History

Shaike, Poli and Gavri had been members of Tarnegolim" ("The Roosters"), founded in 1960 by Naomi Polani.[1][2][3]

The Gashashim put on many comedy skits which became classics in their own right ("The Drafted Car", "Off Side Story", "Kreker vs Kreker", etc.) and contributed numerous quotes to modern spoken Hebrew. They also starred in comic Israeli movies which became major hits, such as Givat Halfon Eina Ona and recorded many famous Hebrew songs.[4] Some of Israel's greatest authors and playwrights, including the late Nisim Aloni, prepared material for the trio. The producer of HaGashash HaHiver was Avraham Deshe ("Pachanel").

The Gashash' sketches transcended class and education. Their elaborate word play became known as Gashashit.

On October 29, 2007 Yisrael Poliakov died at age 66.[5]

Awards and recognition

In 2000, HaGashash HaHiver and its three members were awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement & special contribution to society and the State of Israel.[5][6][7]

The judges who awarded the prize, wrote of their decision to bestow the award on the group: "The uniqueness of Hagashash Hahiver is in its two faces: On the one hand, it reflects the life and the culture that were created in Israel during its first 50 years and in the course of wars, immigration absorption and the struggle for its existence. On the other hand, it has taken an active role in shaping this culture, creating its language and sketching its identity...Their language, Gashashit, and the images they created broke the walls of the inflexible Hebrew language and became standard idiomatic phrases, so much so that he who doesn't know them doesn't know a large part of the culture that has sprouted here. Phrases such as, 'Drive in peace, the keys are inside,' 'There was an engine?' [referring to the "Drafted Car" skit where the army returns a requisitioned car without any of its original parts], 'Israbluff' and many others that became part of our everyday language."[5][8]

Cultural significance

The group has been repeatedly cited as helping to form a part of the cultural self-identity of many Israelis. Israeli sociologist and scholar Baruch Kimmerling called the group "more significant for me than Shakespeare" in terms of this.[9] "They pushed the boundary of surrealism in a language that had been dead for a couple thousand years," said Stand Up! Records founder Dan Schlissel, a fan of the group.[10] In her book No Joke: Making Jewish Humor, Yiddish literature scholar Ruth Wisse stated that "if I ask an assortment of Israelis, 'what comes to mind when I say, Israeli humor?' almost everyone answers 'HaGashash HaHiver.'"[11]

See also

References
  1. Don Rubin (1999). The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre: Europe. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  2. Motti Regev, Edwin Seroussi (2004). Popular music and national culture in Israel. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  3. Ury Eppstein, Michael Ajzenstadt (June 13, 1999). "These chicks have got to grow". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  4. Lyrics of songs performed by the Trackers at Shiron.net
  5. "Comic icon Yisrael 'Poli' Poliakov dies at 66". Jerusalem Post. October 30, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  6. Jafi.org Archived 2003-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Israel Prize Official Site (in Hebrew) – Recipients' C.V."
  8. "Israel Prize Official Site (in Hebrew) – Judges' Rationale for Grant to Recipients".
  9. Baruch Kimmerling (2012). Marginal at the Center. Berghahn Books. pp. 46–. ISBN 978-0-85745-720-2.
  10. Roth, David (2019). "The Art of the Laugh with Stand Up! Records and Dan Schlissel". TPT Originals. Event occurs at :38. PBS. Twin Cities PBS. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  11. Ruth R. Wisse (21 May 2013). No Joke: Making Jewish Humor. Princeton University Press. pp. 200–. ISBN 1-4008-4634-X.
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