Eilon Goitein

Eilon Goitein was born in 1937 in Rehavia

Goitein was born in 1937 and grew up in the Rehavia neighborhood of Jerusalem. His father was the historian and ethnographer Shlomo Dov Goitein, and his mother Theresa was a rhythmics teacher. As a child he studied piano and music, among others with the composer Josef Tal.

He studied at the Mikveh Israel agricultural school and then served in the Nahal with his classmates. He settled at Kibbutz Gvim in the Negev. He later earned a bachelor's degree in mass communication at New York University, focusing on television directing and production.

In 1966 he began working at PBS in Philadelphia on culture and arts programs. In 1968 he joined the team that set up Israeli Television as an instructor in directing and production. He directed and produced early programs such as Tzerufim, quizzes, talk shows and concerts with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

From 1977 to 1979 he was a research fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. From 1982 to 1986 he headed the television drama, music and arts department, which produced the film Lechem. He later produced nature series, including the live broadcasts Reefs from Eilat and the children's series Ze Chai.