Arieh Lieb "Arik" Einstein (Hebrew: אָרִיק אַייְנְשְׁטֵייְן [ˈʔaʁik ˈʔajnʃtejn]; 3 January 1939 – 26 November 2013) was an Israeli singer, songwriter, actor, comedian and screenwriter.

[3][4][5][6] An illustrious musical career that spanned over 50 years saw Einstein recording over 500 songs and releasing, collaborating, and featuring in 34 albums, far more than any other Israeli musician.

[7] Through the years he collaborated with many well-known Israeli singers and songwriters, including Shalom Hanoch[8] Miki Gavrielov, Yoni Rechter, and Shmulik Kraus.

Einstein was Israel's junior high jump and shot put champion,[10] and also played basketball for Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C.

After a few auditions, Einstein was accepted to the prestigious and highly regarded Nahal Brigade army band, which historically paved the way for many of Israel's most talented and successful musicians.

Despite his shyness, Einstein's unique voice and singing was quickly noticed and he was picked soon thereafter to perform a few solo songs, with "Ruach Stav" ("Autumn Wind") the most prominent one.

At the heart of things, Einstein felt uncomfortable creating music for a European audience who cannot truly appreciate the richness of the lyrics after it went through translation to French.

He continued issuing albums during the 1970s and 1980s, often in collaboration with other top artists like Shalom Hanoch, Yoni Rechter, Yitzhak Klepter, and Shem-Tov Levi.

Einstein was regarded as a very humble and modest musician who focused solely on the artistic and creative aspect of the musical world and actively shied away from the lime-light, fame, and the entertainment business.

This was also evident much later in his career when he preferred to collaborate with lesser known and younger musicians as the lifestyle and obsession with fame of more prominent artists did not suit his style.

Until the mid-1990s, in parallel to releasing his own original albums, Einstein concurrently released a series of albums under the name The Old and Good Land of Israel which encompassed a multitude of genres – songs of the homeland from the beginning of Jewish settlement to the ballroom style songs from the 1950s – using modern adaptations with musicians such as Shem-Tov Levi, Yoni Rechter and Avner Kenner.

The film depicted Mizrahi Jews meeting modern Israeli society, and Einstein played the boyfriend of the protagonist's daughter.

Lool featured songs written by prominent Hebrew poets performed by some of the best singers Israel has ever produced, including Einstein, Shmulik Kraus, Shalom Hanoch, Miki Gavrielov, and many more.

It conceptualized the liberal bohemian wave that had reached Tel Aviv by the late 1960s and gave way to exceptional artistry and performance as seen in Lool.

The creative think-tank of that group (and the director of many of skits) was Uri Zohar, one of the most brilliant comedians, actors, and performers in Israeli history, previously regarded as Israel's "King of the Seculars and Bohemians" and Einstein's closest friend.

In a move that shocked much of the public, Zohar left the entertainment industry in the late 1970s to become a rabbi, and became one of the most prominent religious figures in Israel.

At the news of Einstein's death, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement describing his songs as the "soundtrack of Israel.

"[27] President Shimon Peres stated that he was beloved for his voice that "came from the depths" and his songs would "continue playing life and hope" long after him.

[29][30] Einstein's funeral was attended by tens of thousands of people, including the Prime Minister, Israel's leading artists and musicians, and hundreds of friends and family.

On 7 October 2014, 40,000 people assembled for a concert in his honor, led by his longtime collaborators such as Miki Gavrielov but also including many other of the great artists spanning many decades of Israeli popular music.

[32] In 1963, Arik Einstein married Alona Shochat [he] in the hall of Habima Theater (where he was onstage in a production of Irma La Douce).

Studio albums The 1992 Israeli parody film Cables [he][36] was scripted by Arik Einstein, Moni Moshonov, and Zvi Shissel [he].