Nathan Zach facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nathan Zach
Born	(1930-12-13)December 13, 1930 Berlin, Germany
Died	November 6, 2020(2020-11-06) (aged 89) Ramat Gan, Israel
Occupation	Poet
Nationality	Israeli
Notable awards	Bialik Prize Feronia Prize Israel Prize

Nathan Zach (born December 13, 1930 – died November 6, 2020) was a very important Israeli poet. Many people consider him one of the best poets in Israel's history. He won the Israel Prize in 1995 for his amazing poetry. This is one of the highest honors in Israel. He also received many other awards from Israel and other countries. Nathan Zach was a professor who taught about Hebrew and different kinds of literature at the University of Haifa.

Nathan Zach's Life Story

Early Life and Moving to Israel

Nathan Zach was born in Berlin, Germany. His father was a German-Jewish officer, and his mother was Italian Catholic. In 1936, his family had to leave Germany. This was because the Nazi government was rising to power. They moved to the Land of Israel, which is now Israel. His family settled in a city called Haifa. When he was older, he served in the Israel Defense Forces. He worked as an intelligence clerk during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Starting His Poetry Career

In 1955, Nathan Zach published his very first book of poems. It was called Shirim Rishonim, which means "First Poems" in Hebrew. He also translated many German plays into Hebrew. These plays were then performed on stage in Israel.

Changing Hebrew Poetry

Nathan Zach was a leader among a group of poets who started writing after Israel became a country again. He greatly influenced how modern Hebrew poetry developed. He did this as an editor, a critic, a translator, and a poet. He was known for his ideas about poetry. One of his important writings was called "Time and Rhythm in Bergson and in Modern (Hebrew) Poetry."

He was one of the most important people to bring new ideas to Hebrew poetry since the 1950s. He is also famous in Israel for translating poems by other great writers. These include Else Lasker-Schüler and Allen Ginsberg. Experts say that his German "mother tongue" culture also influenced his Hebrew writing.

New Rules for Poetry

In 1959, Nathan Zach wrote an important essay. It was called "Thoughts on Alterman’s Poetry." This essay was published in a magazine called Achshav (meaning Now). In this essay, Zach challenged the old ways of writing poetry. He disagreed with the very emotional style of the Zionist poets. He even criticized Nathan Alterman, who was a highly respected poet at the time.

In his essay, Zach suggested new rules for poetry. These new rules were different from the old ones. The old rules focused a lot on rhyme and strict rhythm. Zach wanted poetry to be more free and modern.

Teaching and Later Years

From 1960 to 1967, Zach taught at several colleges in Tel Aviv and Haifa. Then, from 1968 to 1979, he lived in England. While there, he earned his PhD degree from the University of Essex. After returning to Israel, he taught at Tel Aviv University. He also became a professor at the University of Haifa. He was also in charge of choosing plays for the Ohel and Cameri theaters.

In his last years, Nathan Zach faced health challenges. He passed away in November 2020, at the age of 89.

Awards and Special Recognition

Nathan Zach was famous around the world for his poetry. People called him "the most clear and strong voice of the modern movement in Hebrew poetry." He is one of the most well-known Israeli poets outside of Israel.

• In 1982, he won the Bialik Prize for literature.
• In 1993, he received the Feronia Prize in Rome, Italy.
• In 1995, he was honored with the Israel Prize for Hebrew poetry.

Nathan Zach's Books

See also

In Spanish: Nathan Zach para niños

• List of Israel Prize recipients
• List of Bialik Prize recipients