Composer and singer Dori Ben Zeev, a resident of Binyamina, is one of the assets of the Iron Sheep of Israeli culture. Over the years, Ben Ze’ev broadcasted, dubbed, moderated, acted and participated in television programs and produced shows. For all these, this month (11/22) he will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from AM.
“I grew up listening to the radio,” said Ben-Zev in an interview with Maariv. “When I was a child, we had a radio receiver in the center of the living room. I remember the musical clock, which would wake us up every morning and the program ‘As you wish’ and other programs. I don’t remember myself without a radio. My love for it haunts me to this day, when I have at least one receiver in every room One and I listen to him two centimeters away from him.”
// Ben Zeev at 88FM studios. Photos: from Wikipedia
Ben Zeev (73) was born in Tel Aviv to Batia, a teacher by profession, and Mordechai Ben Zeev. At a young age, his family moved to Haifa following the establishment of the Haifa Municipal Theater, of which his father was one of the founders. “At the age of 10 I played with Gideon Singer in the play ‘Gulliver’ at the Tilon-Talil children’s theater of the great Menachem Golan” he said “I grew up behind the scenes of the great actors of that time, of Eric Lavie, Sheika Ofir, Hana Maron, Yossi Yadin and all the guards who founded the Chamber Theater And then the Sambation Theater. I grew up on the lap of Eric Einstein, who after the army got my father’s first job at Sambation. It was a time when culture and entertainment began to flourish in Israel.”
At the age of 18, even before enlisting in the army, Ben Ze’ev, one of the pioneers of stand-up in Israel, was a guest at shows of the North Command band and presented various humorous pieces to soldiers. Upon his enlistment, he served in the IDF Theater and the Armored Forces Band and was then transferred to the IDF Air Force Base, where he served as a military reporter, but soon began presenting entertaining segments and a weekly radio show. Ben Ze’ev noted that his love for radio began in the sixth grade, when walking around with a broomstick and interviewing children. “I didn’t even know what I was doing,” he said, “it’s something that burned in me and I didn’t know how much.” As a teenager I decided that I wanted to work in electronics and sound, and I worked every big break at a sound company in Haifa. After school I would go to a friend who had a tape recorder, and I would have fun and record all kinds of characters and imitations. Well, my name in reverse is ‘Radio’.”
The loose and innovative delivery style was unusual in the restrained landscape that was customary at the time, as was the music he played. In the same program, “Foggy’s Corner” was also founded, in which the Hive band was hosted, before it was officially formed, when its members were still serving in the Nahal band. At that time, Ben Ze’ev wrote songs and skits, and participated in shows like “Lol” and did stand-up shows, before this was acceptable in Israel
Over the years he voiced, moderated, played and participated in many television programs, produced shows and albums but always remained loyal to his great love, the radio. After 30 years on the IDF airwaves and a short period on Echo 99, a decade ago he landed on Khan 88, where he still broadcasts his popular show “Ben Zeev for the weekend” every Friday between 4:00-6:00 p.m.
For his achievements and his great work over the years, this month Ben Ze’ev will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from AM. The ceremony itself will be held on November 22 at the Petah Tikva Culture Hall. Ben Ze’ev said of his win: “A few months ago I was a judge on behalf of the Ministry of Culture at the Eric Award Einstein’, and I had the privilege of announcing to Hanan Yuval that he had won an award for his work. He was very excited, his breath caught for a moment. Months passed and Hanan was the one who informed me about my winning the prize. “Now I will pay you back,” he told me.