{"id":824,"date":"2023-03-10T11:25:02","date_gmt":"2023-03-10T11:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shavuatov.co.uk\/?p=824"},"modified":"2023-03-13T11:05:02","modified_gmt":"2023-03-13T11:05:02","slug":"our-tribute-to-topol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shavuatov.co.uk\/?p=824","title":{"rendered":"OUR TRIBUTE TO TOPOL"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Chaim Topol, the Israeli actor who found global fame for his role as Tevye in the film version of \u201cFiddler on the Roof,\u201d died Thursday at the age of 87 in Tel Aviv after a multi-year battle with Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Topol, once described in  the<em> Jerusalem Post <\/em>as Israel's most famous export since Jaffa ornages was a prolific actor with a wide range of credits, was best known for inhabiting the central character of Tevye \u2014 first in stage productions of the famed Shalom Aleichem musical and then later in the iconic film, before eventually returning to the stage with the role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Fiddler on the roof - If I were a rich man (with subtitles)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RBHZFYpQ6nc?start=36&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">President Isaac Herzog called Topol \u201cone of the most outstanding Israeli stage artists,\u201d who was a \u201cgiant of Israeli culture and will be greatly missed.\u201d Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Topol a \u201cmultifaceted artist with great charisma and energy,\u201d who \u201cproudly represented Israel around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSadly, the fiddler on the roof is no longer with us,\u201d Netanyahu added. \u201cThe strings of the fiddle have fallen silent. The story of Chaim Topol\u2019s life has been sealed but I am certain that his contribution to Israeli culture will live on for generations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Israeli actress Rivka Michaeli, 84, who worked with the actor in the 1960s, said Topol was beloved \u201cnot just for being an international actor, but for his body of work\u201d and his extensive philanthropic efforts, she told 103FM radio. \u201cTopol was a man very much guided by his conscience; he was a man for whom Israel was his driving force \u2014 being Israeli was so important to him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Born in Tel Aviv in 1935, Topol began his acting career while completing his service in the army\u2019s entertainment troupe where he met his wife, Galia. After his release, he joined a theater group, appearing in multiple productions before his first film role, the 1961&nbsp;drama \u201c<em>I Like<\/em><em>&nbsp;Mike<\/em>\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shavuatov.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/Topol-at-home.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-825\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">I<strong>sraeli actor Chaim Topol speaks during an interview in Tel Aviv on April 8, 2015. (AP Photo\/Ariel Schalit)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">But it was his 1964 role in the film \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LpK_jX8JSQY\"><em>Sallah Shabati<\/em><\/a>\u201d that first gained Topol serious attention, both domestically and internationally. Topol played the title role in the now-iconic film about the hardships of a Mizrahi immigrant family living in a transit camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The film became a smash hit locally, won best foreign film at the Golden Globes and became Israel\u2019s first-ever nomination for an Oscar in the international film category. A year later, Topol was cast in a small role in the 1966 big-budget US production \u201c<em>Cast a Giant Shadow.\u201d<\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Shortly after that, he was brushing up on his English to audition for the part of Tevye in a British theater production of \u201cFiddler on the Roof\u201d \u2013 a role he had already been playing in Hebrew in Israel. Topol landed the part, premiering in the role in 1967 and ultimately playing several hundred shows as Tevye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">When director Norman Jewison was looking to cast Tevye for the film adaptation, he flew to the UK to watch Topol\u2019s performance and was won over, casting him in what would become a critical and commercial success known around the world. The 1971 film adaptation was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including best actor for Topol, cementing him in the eyes of the world as the ultimate Tevye and as one of the first-ever Israeli actors to gain international recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Over the years, Topol starred in several dozen more films in Israel and the US, including a role in the 1981 Bond film \u201c<em>For Your Eyes Only<\/em>.\u201d He also played scientist Galileo Galilei in the 1975 film \u201c<em>Galileo<\/em>\u201d in addition to appearing in the 1980 space opera film \u201c<em>Flash Gordon.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">He was always most closely identified as Tevye, though, returning to play the character on stage repeatedly around the world, including in a Broadway revival that earned him a Tony nomination<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shavuatov.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/Topol-as-Tevye.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-826\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fiddler on the Roof\u2019 director Norman Jewison (right) on set in 1970 with Chaim Topol, who played Tevye. (Courtesy of Zeitgeist Films)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">He said goodbye to the character with a farewell tour across the US in 2009, revealing that he had acted as Tevye more than 3,500 times on stage. Topol began his career as Tevye at age 30, using makeup and costume to appear older, and wrapped up his time in the role when he was nearing 75, drawing on a seemingly endless well of vigor to appear younger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHow many people are known for one part? How many people in my profession are known worldwide? So I am not complaining,\u201d&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/iconic-actor-chaim-topol-reflects-on-long-career\/\">he said in 2015<\/a>. \u201cSometimes I am surprised when I come to China or when I come to Tokyo or when I come to France or when I come wherever and the clerk at the immigration says \u2018Topol, Topol, are you Topol?\u2019 So yes, many people saw [<em>Fiddler]<\/em>, and it is not a bad thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">In later years, Topol \u2013 who also wrote several books and illustrated several others \u2013 devoted himself to philanthropy, in particular as president of the Jordan River Village. The facility, which&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/after-14-years-a-paul-newman-fun-camp-for-kids-with-chronic-illnesses-opens-in-israel\/\">opened in 2012<\/a>, runs a year-round camp in the Galilee for children living with chronic illnesses and disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Decades earlier, Topol founded the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.variety.co.il\/copy-of\"><em>Variety Israel<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;<\/em>nonprofit, which provides treatment and support to children with special needs. In 2015, he&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/chaim-topol-best-known-as-fiddlers-tevye-wins-israel-prize\/\">was awarded<\/a>&nbsp;the Israel Prize, considered the country\u2019s top honor.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shavuatov.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/Topol-at-home-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-827\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Israeli actor Chaim Topol at his home in Tel Aviv, June 16, 2014. (Yaakov Naumi\/Flash90)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">In&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=m25-F4b5oZg\">an interview<\/a>&nbsp;with Israeli public television at age 80, he boasted of having been able to maintain his busy pace, continuing to write, illustrate, make appearances and be involved in philanthropy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSometimes I find myself doing even more than I ever did,\u201d he said at the time. \u201cI was always doing multiple things at a time\u2026 I guess it\u2019s in my personality, and I enjoy it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Galia, along with his three children and several grandchildren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>My thanks to Times of Israel for this obituary and to Barbra Paskin for her suggestion<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls src=\"WhatsApp Video 2023-03-11 at 09.10.41\"><\/video><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chaim Topol, the Israeli actor who found global fame for his role as Tevye in the film version of \u201cFiddler on the Roof,\u201d died Thursday at the age of 87 in Tel Aviv after a multi-year battle with Alzheimer\u2019s. Topol, once described in the Jerusalem Post as Israel's most famous export since Jaffa ornages was [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-obituaries","category-thats-showbiz"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shavuatov.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shavuatov.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shavuatov.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shavuatov.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shavuatov.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=824"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.shavuatov.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":850,"href":"https:\/\/www.shavuatov.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824\/revisions\/850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shavuatov.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shavuatov.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shavuatov.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}