Arik Einstein
With a warm, conversational voice, he wove rock, pop, and folk into the very soundtrack of modern Israeli life.
1939–2013 (age 74)·Israeli musical artist·Birthday: January 3·The Silent Generation
Biography
Arik Einstein was not a rock star in the traditional sense; he was something more foundational. Emerging from the army's entertainment troupe, he became the central figure in a Tel Avivian cultural renaissance in the 1960s and 70s. Einstein possessed a uniquely intimate baritone, a voice that felt like a friend confiding over coffee. He collaborated with the country's best musicians, from the folk-rock of Shalom Hanoch to the psychedelic explorations of The Churchills, creating albums that were both artistically ambitious and wildly popular. His songs—about love, urban life, and subtle social commentary—moved away from ideological anthems, instead capturing the personal moods of a changing nation. Shy and averse to live performance, his influence was cemented through recordings, making him the essential voice in countless Israeli homes for over five decades.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Arik was born in 1939, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arik Was Born
The biggest hits of 1939
#1 Movie
Gone with the Wind
Best Picture
Gone with the Wind
Arik's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1939Born
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1944Started school
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1952Became a teenager
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Could drive
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1957Could vote
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Turned 21
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1969Turned 30
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 40
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 50
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 60
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 70
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2013Died at 74
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- His 1969 album 'Mazal Gdi' (Capricorn) is widely considered the first Israeli rock album.
- Formed the supergroup 'The High Windows' with Shalom Hanoch and others, revolutionizing Israeli pop music.
- Recorded the iconic song 'Ani Ve'Ata' (You and I), which became an unofficial anthem for peace and change.
- His compilation album 'Shirei Yeladim' (Children's Songs) is one of the best-selling records in Israeli history.
Did You Know?
He was a talented basketball player in his youth and played for the Maccabi Tel Aviv junior team.
He starred in the classic Israeli comedy film 'Metzitzim' (Peeping Toms) in 1972.
He was notoriously stage-frightened and performed very few full concerts throughout his career.
The mayor of Tel Aviv declared the day of his funeral a day of mourning in the city.
“I never wanted to be a star. I just wanted to sing good songs.”
