Yardena Arazi

Yardena Arazi was born in 1951 in Kabri

Yardena Arazi was born Yardena Finebaum in kibbutz Kabri. Her father came from Germany, served in the Irgun and helped found kibbutz Beit HaArava. Her mother came from France and was a cousin of Marcel Marceau. The family moved to Haifa in 1953, where she grew up.

As a teenager she joined the Beit Rothschild group and became its lead vocalist. She enlisted in the IDF in 1969 and joined the Nahal entertainment troupe, which she later commanded.

In the 1970s she sang in the trio Chocolate, Menta, Mastik, which represented Israel at Eurovision 1976 with Emor Shalom and placed sixth. She left the trio in 1978 and in 1979 co-hosted Eurovision in Jerusalem with Daniel Pe'er.

In the 1980s she was named female singer of the year several times and female singer of the decade. In 1988 she represented Israel at Eurovision in Dublin with Ben Adam, placing seventh. In 1989 she released Desert Fantasy, Hebrew versions of Arabic songs.

Since 1997 she has worked mainly as a television host, including 9 years on the morning show Cafe Telad. She is married to engineer Nathan Tomer and they have a daughter, Alona. Haifa named a street after her on her 70th birthday.