Yafa Yarkoni

She and her siblings formed a group called Bamati, an acronym derived from the initials of the four family members, that would perform at their mother's restaurant.The group gained popularity among the cafe’s patrons, and following a recommendation from singer and actor Shmuel Fisher, Yarkoni was accepted to study classical dance at Gertrud Kraus's studio.Songs written for the troupe by Toli Reviv and Bobby Panhassi, including "Don't Tell Me Goodbye," "Sharhoret," and "It Only Happened This Time," became associated with Yarkoni."Bab al-Wad," written by Haim Gouri in memory of the convoy escorts, gained prominence about a year after the fighting ended.One of Yarkoni's most notable children's songs was "Aba Shlei" ("My father has a ladder..."), written by Thelma Eligon.Yarkoni won first place at the 1965 Singer and Chorus Festival with "Ayelet Ha'Hen", and again in 1966 with "Autumn Night."IIn 1969, Yarkoni performed "When We Were Children" (written by Uri Assaf and composed by Moshe Wilensky) on a television special for Yom Ha'atzmaut, which became one of her signature songs.In 1996, she released the duet album Singing with Yafa Yarkoni, featuring collaborations with artists including Shoshana Damari, Aric Einstein, and Chava Alberstein.[22] In December 2006, a large tribute evening was organized for Yarkoni at the Heichal HaTarbut, featuring performances by numerous artists.In 2002, during Operation Defensive Shield, she made comments on Israeli Army Radio's What's Burning program criticizing the marking of numbers on the arms of Palestinians by IDF soldiers.These remarks were widely interpreted by the media as a comparison between the actions of the IDF and the identification of inmates in Nazi concentration camps.She received threats and hate mail, and an event in her honor organized by the Israel Artists Union was initially canceled.[29][30] The song "Uri," written by Raphael Kalchkin and composed by Issachar Miron, was performed by Yarkoni in memory of her deceased husband.[39] The exhibition included items from her life, such as diaries, album covers, photographs, dresses, jewelry, and other fashion accessories.