Uriel Ofek

Uriel Ofek (Hebrew: אוריאל אופק, born: 30 June 1926 in Tel Aviv – 23 January 1987) was an Israeli writer for children and youth, editor, lyricist, poet, translator and children's literature scholar.

Biography

Ofek was born in Tel Aviv to his Father, the Yiddish poet Arie Popik, grew up in Giv'atayim and studied in Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium. He served as a medic in the Palmach Brigades, 1944–1949, War of Independence and served in Gush Etzion and was in Jordanian captivity, where he spent about nine months.

He edited the children's newspaper 'Davar L'iladim' (children's supplement of Davar) for many years and laid the foundation for the Bibliography of Jewish children's literature, Hebrew and Yiddish, the global children's literature, both knees of children's literature.

He had a doctorate degree in children's literature from the University of Toronto.

Many of his books are based on experiences in childhood and youth in neighborhood Borochov in Giv'atayim, where he grew up. He describes landscapes, events and characters from the period preceding the establishment of Israel – the Slick of Aldema, Battles in Wadi Musrara, and the Seven Mills along the Yarkon river.

His widow, Bina Ofek, and two daughters, Atara Ofek and Amira Hachamowitz, are writers and editors for children as well.

Ofek died from a blood cancer in 1987 at the age of 61.

Awards

• In 1965, Ofek was awarded the Lamdan Prize for children's literature and youth for his book "Robinson to Lubengulu".
• In 1976, he won the Zeev Prize for literature for children and youth for his book "No secrets in the neighborhood".

Books (partial list)

Books for children and youth

• "The Show Must Go On" (translated to English, German, Danish and Dutch)
• "Smoke Over Golan" (translated to English, German, Danish, Dutch and Afrikaans)
• "Five minutes of fear"
• "Stars on the border"
• "Story Time"
• "No secrets in the neighborhood"
• "Seven mills and a station"
• "Steps in the sand"
• "Deer Hill"
• "My Great Raid"

Classic Jewish Legends

• "Chelm the City of Wise Men"
• "King Solomon's bee" (originally by Haim Nahman Bialik)
• "Emperor's New Clothes"
• "Fishing the Goldfish"

reference books

• "Lexicon Ofek to Children's Literature"
• "A hundred years of Zionism"
• "Robinson to Lubengulu"
• "Snow white to Emil"
• "Tarzan and Hasamba"
• "Give them books"

Translations

• "Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame (1984)
• "Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain (1969)
• "Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain
• "Alice in Wonderland" and "Alice Through the Looking Glass" by Lewis Carroll
• "Tree stars" by Leib Morgntoi (1977)
• Translation of poems in"Lord of the Rings" by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1979)
• "Mister God, This Is Anna" by Fynn (1979)
• "Tales from Moominvalley" and "The Memoirs of Moominpappa", Tove Jansson
• "Max and Moritz" Wilhelm Busch(1983)
• "Wild Shua", a third translation book "Struwwelpeter" by Heinrich Hoffmann (1985)
• "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl.
• "James and the Giant Peach" by Roald Dahl.
• "Wizard of Oz" by Frank Baum (published after his death in 1988).

Discography

Netanela and Dudu Zakai- Blue Bird – The Songs of Uriel Ofek −1977