Israel Gurion is an actor, singer, mime, and entertainer. In the late 1950s, Gurion and the late Benny Amdursky started the folk duo, The Dudaim (HaDudaim), who remained active right up to Amdusrky’s death in 1994. Many of the pair’s songs have since become staples of Israeli culture including Evening of Roses (‘erev shel shoshanim’), A Graceful Apple (‘tapuach chinani’). In the Fields of Bethlehem (‘be’sdot beit lechem’), A Night Walk (‘tiyul leili’), Fishermen’s March (‘marsh hadayagim’), What Have you Learned in School Today (‘ma lamadeta began hayom’), Avinoam Bonny (‘Avinoam bahur kaerez’), And Uziyahu Built (‘vayiven Uziyahu’.)
Gurion stepped in for Yehoram Gaon and joined Benny Amdusrky and Arik Einstein for the Yarkon Bridge Trio’s second variety special which produced countless hits, including A Sign That you’re Young (‘siman sheata tzair’), The City in Grey (‘ha’ir be’afor’), and Don’t be Angry, It’s not a Disaster (‘al tichasi ze lo ason’). Gurion and Amdursky also collaborated with Josie Katz on the hit special, The Good, The Bad and the Girl, folk duo Susan & Fran on the album Rainbow (‘keshet be’anan’), and The Parvarim (‘the suburbs’) on the album The Parvarim / The Dudaim. In 1966, Gurion released his self-titled debut album, featuring the hit single Peanuts (‘botnim’), a Hebrew adaption of the song by Jacques Brel.
The past two decades, Gurion has been collaborating with Assaf Amdursky, his late singing partner’s son, on a series of Dudaim tribute nights featuring new arrangements that stay true to the source. The duo have also released two tribute albums, Singing The Dudaim (‘sharim ha dudaim’) (2013), and Singing The Dudaim II (‘sharim ha dudaim 2’) (2018).
Gurion has appeared in many plays including Ghosts’ Inn (Cameri Theatre, 1962) where he performed the timeless Innkeeper’s Song (‘shir hapundakait’) with Benny Amdursky and Hanna Maron; Hanoch Levin’s sensational play, Queen of Bathtub, where he performed a number of songs including Father Dearest (‘avi hayakar’), My Ghetto (‘hageto sheli’), and Okay People (‘anshei beseder’), and others including Popper (Haifa Theatre, 1976), The Visit (Habima, 1994), and Village (Gesher Theatre, 1996). Gurion has also directed and starred in countless children’s stage productions including Nachman (The Children and Youth’s Theatre, 1986), and The Ugly Duckling (Orna Porat Children’s Theatre, 2011).
Highlights of his film acting credits include Dalia and the Sailors (Menahem Golan, 1964), Hole in the Moon (Uri Zohar, 1965), How Wonderful (Amos Kenan, 1969), 42:6 – Ben Gurion (David Perlov, 1969), The Great Telephone Robbery (Menahem Golan, 1972), Save the Lifeguard (Uri Zohar, 1977), Fantasy on a Romantic Theme (Vitek Tracz, 1977), Wrong Number (Ze’ev Revach, 1979), The Auntie from Argentina (George Obadiah, 1984), Green (Gideon Kolirin, 1984), and Front Window (Aner Preminger, 1990). Gurion was also one of the presenters of beloved children’s programme 3, 4, 5 and a Half that aired on Israeli public broadcaster, Channel 1, between 1980 – 1984.
