Literatureנסים אלוני

Nisim Aloni

Nissim Aloni was an Israeli playwright and theater director who received the Israel Prize in 1996.

1926 to 1998The play The King's ClothesFounding the Seasons TheaterWriting for Hagashash Hachiver

Born: 24 August 1926, Tel Aviv
Died: 13 June 1998, Tel Aviv
Occupation: playwright, translator, theatre director, writer
Education: Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Nisim Aloni was born in 1926 in Tel Aviv

Aloni was born Nissim Levi in Tel Aviv in 1926. His parents were poor Jewish immigrants from Bulgaria. The neighborhood where he grew up later inspired his writing.

After high school he joined the Notrut, a Jewish auxiliary police force, and wrote for the weekly BaMahane. In the War of Independence he served in the Givati Brigade. He later studied history and French at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

His first play, Most Cruel the King, was staged at Habima in 1953, and The King's Clothes followed there in 1961. In 1963 he founded the Seasons Theater with Yossi Banai and Avner Hezkyahu, and from then on he directed all his plays. He also wrote sketches and songs for Hagashash Hachiver and directed some of their shows.

In 1957 he went to Paris, where he came to know French theater and the ideas of existentialism. In his later years a stroke left him severely disabled. He died in a Tel Aviv hospital in 1998.

Nisim Aloni's life in 9 milestones

1926
Born in Tel Aviv.
1953
His first play was staged at Habima.
1957
Traveled to Paris.
1961
Habima staged The King's Clothes.
1963
Founded the Seasons Theater.
1972
The film The Pill was made from his script.
1983
Received the Bialik Prize.
1996
Received the Israel Prize.
1998
Died in Tel Aviv.

Nisim Aloni served in the military

He served in the Notrut auxiliary police and fought in the War of Independence with the Givati Brigade. He completed an officers' course and took part in the battle for the Ibdis outpost.