Moshe Wilensky

Moshe Wilensky was born in 1910 in Warsaw

Moshe Wilensky was born in Warsaw in 1910 to Zelig and Henia. During World War I his family fled to Russia and came back to Warsaw in 1917. At 13 he joined the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement, where the musician Yitzhak Edel taught him music theory.

He finished high school in 1928 and studied at the Warsaw Conservatory. In 1932 he completed studies in composition and conducting. From 1936 to 1939 he also studied engineering at the Technion branch in Tel Aviv.

In 1932 he moved to the Land of Israel and worked as a pianist and composer at the Hamatate theater. In 1944 he joined the Li-La-Lo theater, where Shoshana Damari sang his song Kalaniyot. He worked with Damari for many years and wrote most of her songs.

During the War of Independence he wrote songs for the Palmach troupe Chizbatron, among them Hayu Zmanim. He later wrote for IDF troupes such as the Nahal choir and worked with the Kol Yisrael orchestra. He set many poems by Natan Alterman to music.

He received the Israel Prize in 1983. He died in 1997. In 1998 ACUM named its Song of the Year Award after him.