The first and last time I talked to Haim Topol, one of the greatest actors of our country who passed away last Thursday, was a few years ago, when I approached him to interview him about his film work. “If you want to interview me, come to the Jordan River village, join me for a whole day, see the place and the lovely children, and after that maybe we’ll talk,” he told me then. “I have no interest now in talking about my career when there are more important things to deal with.” .
Throughout his career, Topol, the first Israeli actor to become an international movie star, sought to use his many groundbreaking achievements for one goal – helping others. In the 1960s, after the fame of the Nahal band and “Bezal Yerok” in which he starred, Topol became famous thanks to his starring role in the Israeli film that was nominated for the Oscar, “Saleh Shabbati”, for which he won the Golden Globe Award. After that, among other things, he starred alongside Kirk Douglas In his first international film “Cast a Huge Shadow” and conquered the whole world in the role of his life as Tovia the milkman in the musical “Fiddler on the Roof”.
Green onion (photo: from Wikipedia)
“While playing ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ in London in 1967, a few days before the outbreak of the Six Day War, on June 1 he called me Zvi Zamir (later head of the Mossad – DP) who was a military attaché in London,” said Topol in a previous interview. “He told me: ‘They are asking Israel to send ambulances from London to Israel.’ I asked Zvi: ‘What about me and the ambulances?’ He said: “We did a little investigation, and there are 48 ambulances in Ford’s backyard and we want you to help us find out who is in charge of ‘Variety’ London because it belongs to ‘Variety’.”
“I picked up the phones, and then it became clear to me that there were two good Jews who were donating to ‘Variety’ there. I called them and called them to come to the embassy immediately. They came without asking why, we presented them with our need for ambulances. They said: ‘These are ambulances that Englishmen have donated to English children , we can’t take it and send it to the war in Israel.’ Then one of them took a breath and said: ‘You know what? If you start ‘Variety’ in Israel, we’ll find a way to send you the ambulances.” I agreed, we shook hands, but in the end nothing came out Ambulances because on June 5, 1967, the Six Day War broke out.”
“During it I left everything and came to Israel, but after six days the war ended. I went back to London. I’m doing the first show there, I go to the make-up room and see these Jewish guys, and they said to me: ‘Do you remember when we shook hands? Well, please , you will establish ‘Variety’ in Israel’. This is how ‘Variety’ was established in Israel on November 6, 1967. They brought 100 guys, not necessarily Jews, each of whom then gave a thousand sterling, aviation capital, and that’s how I came to deal with children, it entered my heart , to the mind and soul, and you can’t say goodbye to that.”
Lake Mike Islands (Photo: No)
Topol founded “Variety Israel” together with Haim Herzog (later the President of the State), Ruth Dayan, Kenny Gridinger, Danny Angel and Meir Weissgal. He served for all his years as honorary president of the organization. On the evening of the launch of “Variety” at the “Hilton” hotel in Tel Aviv, 250 businessmen and local film, theater and entertainment executives were present, alongside international stars that Tupolev, through his connections, was able to bring, including Hollywood stars Sean Connery, Burt Lancaster, Stanley Baker, Maureen O’Hara and J. And Lee Christy.
“Later, when I was elected president of ‘Variety Israel’ and of ‘Variety’ worldwide, Topol was always by my side, and always helped and dedicated the proceeds of each of his premieres to the children of ‘Variety Israel,'” says attorney Uri Salonim, who served as chairman of “Variety” Israel” in the years 1995-2022 and as president and chairman of the global “Variety” in the years 2003-2007. “Beyond that, we were very close friends. We first met in the 70’s and had a very close friendship over the years. I would take him with me to the things I dealt with.”
“When I dealt with the subject of the prisoners and the missing, he sometimes accompanied me to the bereaved families. The families met Topol of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, and instead of talking about the difficult matter, they talked with him about the films and the plays. For example, we were together at Batia Arad’s, Ron Arad’s mother, and this It was an emotional visit. It was important for Haim to help and support people. My wife Tami and I accompanied him in his last hours at his family home. Haim was always there for me. He was always the one who accompanied me in all my voluntary activities. He is always around when help was needed for another. The philanthropic activity was Always a part of his professional successes and his family. These three elements were his whole life.”
Do you remember experiences from his activity at “Variety”?
“Topol used to draw portraits of important people, and at the time he made a set of such pictures and dedicated them to the children of ‘Variety’, we sold them and in return helped children with special needs. Usually when you have an artist of this caliber by your side, it helps the organization. My contact with him on ‘Variety’ was mainly during my time at ‘Variety’ World. Abroad, he was a huge star and proud that he is close to such a voluntary organization.”
on top of the world
In one of his past interviews, Topol said about his volunteer activities: “They choose me, I don’t choose what to do, things choose you.”
In February 2000, Topol was one of the initiators of the establishment of the “Kfar Nahar Jordan” association, together with the American philanthropist couple Murray and Marilyn Grant and Katya Citrin. who dealt with it,” says Salonim. “The goal was to help children dealing with chronic and life-threatening illnesses.”
Eldorado (photo: screenshot)
“I met Chaim for the first time when they asked me to volunteer as a guide and accompanying doctor for sick children who went on vacation in villages around the world, which is what Chaim was doing in the early years of the association,” recalls Dr. Herzl Gabriel, the medical director of Kfar Nahar Jordan. “That’s how I started the work with the association and with Haim and since then I have remained, to this day, accompanying the association.”
“I knew Haim almost from the first day that the association was established, when I was asked to join the executive committee,” recalls Aviva Peterburg, a member of the executive committee and one of the founders of the village. public relations and leverage it. This association was important to him personally as part of his endless giving and it was important to me from my personal place – I had a daughter who passed away, and I wanted to establish something in her memory. Haim was a full partner in establishing a living corner in her memory in the village. He was a man above his level, And the village was an integral part of his DNA.”
According to Petersburg, Topol invested all his energy in efforts to make the vision of the village a reality. “We held an evening at my house to raise funds, Haim sang in front of people, and donations were collected at an insane level. It was important to him to help establish a holiday village for children suffering from life-threatening diseases. The main idea of this village is to cater to children of any race, regardless of whether they are Jewish or Arab, and this is the vision that burned in Haim’s blood. He wanted the entire issue of the village and its operation to come from donations, so that the children would not have to pay a shekel.”
“It was a daily struggle to establish the village, and Chaim showed infinite dedication. It was something that was inside him. It was his life’s work. It was his baby. He felt that in this he was really fulfilling the greatest mission in his life. There is no doubt that he loved the game and what he did, But this specific village was his essence. This is what he saw before his eyes. He wanted to provide an answer to all these children. After the association was established, he took me to a committee of ministers in the Knesset so that they would recognize the association as a national project of the state, and of course there was full agreement. Where he could – He talked about the village. In every TV interview and at every opportunity. We once went to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair and talk to him about the village. It was the most important thing in life after his family, which always came first. Haim used all his connections for this purpose. Haim Open many doors and pockets for the village.”
Saleh Shabti (Photo: Asher Molt)
“At that time, I also met with the members of the executive committee and we discussed the groups of children suffering from chronic diseases who would have the opportunity to vacation in the village,” adds Sara Shomowitz-Wexler, founder and director of the association for liver transplant recipients. For children who cannot vacation in other places – to leave the house, the environment, the hospitals, forget about their illness or disability and celebrate life. For that I cherish and appreciate his work as a person.”
In August 2011, the village was finally established in the settlement of Givat Avni in the Lower Galilee Regional Council. Today, children of all ages come to it to relax for a few days and enjoy diverse activities, such as horseback riding, art and craft workshops, cooking, music, photography, a living room, etc., while receiving adequate medical support for a variety of diseases, including severe asthma, epilepsy, family dysautonomia , hemophilia, neurological disorders and more. In 2014, the village was awarded the President’s Medal for a volunteer, and in 2017, it received the Minister of Health’s shield for outstanding volunteers.
Topol used to travel regularly from his home in Tel Aviv to the village to make sure everything was functioning properly. “He was a huge human being who not once, not twice and not three times shed a tear when he saw children in activities,” says Peterburg. with the children on a climbing wall, and don’t forget that he was not in his 20s. He danced with them and sang to them, he was happy with them, he was sad with them. The village was him, and he was the village. His name will continue to accompany the village because without him it is impossible , and I personally will miss him very much.”
Cast a huge shadow (photo: courtesy of Yes)
“Chaim always came with donors to meet the children, took an interest in their illness and what the village was doing for them, made sure everything was as it should be and made sure they got the best vacation,” describes Gabriel. “He would enter the village with a sparkle in his eyes and get excited every time he saw What happened here. When the first group of children arrived in the village in 2011, Haim came and happily hugged the children. It was one of the most exciting days in his life and in our lives, we were moved and wept together with him because it was a very special day. I remember one day we were sitting in the dining room during a vacation of autistic children, and one of the instructors approached Chaim and told him that there was a boy here who wanted to talk to him. Chaim stopped eating, called the boy, and the boy said to him: ‘Chaim, I know everything about you!’ The boy told Chaim all his history with exact dates, special events, The details of the family. Chaim was shocked, cried like a child from excitement, hugged the child, and they took a picture. He felt on top of the world.”
What is the importance of the village?
“This is a special place that has no other in the country. A sick child can come to him independently without his parents, have an experience for a few days and return home as a completely different child. Haim read the letters we received from parents about what the resort did for their children, and he was moved by it. They realized that the disease is not the end of the world and that there are other children like them. This is what Chaim saw and wanted to convey to them, and this is what made him so happy.”
Arabinka (Photo: Asher Molt)
Crazy show
Noam Neuman (26), a trainee and former guide in the village, did not know Topol as a film and theater star but as the older man who would walk around the village, playing and laughing with the children. “When I was in the 9th grade, I came to the village for the first time,” she says. “When I was in the 10th grade, they filmed a video about the village, they took three campers and asked us to introduce ourselves and our experiences in the village. A few minutes before filming the video, Haim talked to each of us and did We have a preparatory and introductory conversation. See his kindness and his eyes that are full of goodness, doing and good will and joy. He was very nice and instilled confidence. He asked me to close the video with a few words that were important to him to describe the village.”
“When I was in the 11th grade, they called me from the village and asked me to be the one to fly with them to London for a gala evening to raise funds for the village. We flew and it was a very empowering experience for me. The evening was very exciting, he sang his famous song ‘If I Were A Rich Man’ and gave a crazy show. It was my first time abroad, and he introduced me to all kinds of movie stars. Then, just before the army and also in the army, I came to volunteer in the village as a guide. We met several times and he told me a sentence that goes with me to this day: ‘You are my gift, and the proof That I was able to do what I wanted to do’. It strengthened me a lot. Then I also brought him to give lectures at our navy. People were enthusiastic about everything he did and said. He was a very impressive man who spoke at eye level, which is not self-evident.”
Neumann also points out that Topul did not behave like a star in the village at all. “He never showed off or talked about his career,” she says. “If I hadn’t told my father that I met him, I wouldn’t have known he was an actor. He didn’t talk about it but focused on doing good for us, the children.”
How did you see his actions in the village?
“It was his life’s work. He gave the children hope. I can testify for myself that it gave me hope, gave me confidence and gave me the understanding that I can succeed on my own. He was a special personality and gave us a lot of hope and joy, that’s what I experienced from him. Establishing this place was not obvious at all. I’m sure there are many things he could have done, but he chose us, the children. It is very worthy of appreciation and admiration.”