Mordechai Zeira (Hebrew: מרדכי זעירא, July 6, 1905 – August 1, 1968), born in Kiev as Dmitry Greben, was an Israeli composer.

Wrote melodies for the best poets and songwriters, including Jacob Orland, Nathan Alterman, Aharon Ashman and Alexander Penn.

[2] Mordechai Zaira was born Dmitry Mark (Mitya) Greben in the city of Kiev in the Russian Empire (now the capital of Ukraine).

In 1924 he was arrested for being in the Zionist youth movement Hashomer Hatzair, but received a permit to leave the Soviet Union and immigrated to Israel at the age of 19.

[4] According to his friends, he was then called "Masreki" (translated as Comb-i, referencing also to his surname Greben - Гребень which means in Russian comb).

In addition, he also studied with Prof. David Shor - in public lectures and private lessons, which the professor, who noticed his talents, and was aware of his financial situation, taught him for free, in his home.

In 1927 he met Sarah Gutman, a student of the Lewinsky College of Education, who studied when they both sang in Menashe Rabina's "Beit HaLevi'im" choir in Tel Aviv.

Since end of 1933, he earned his living by working at Israel Electric Corporation, initially as a meter reader and then, following a heart attack, he switched to bookkeeping.

In World War II, Zeira enlisted in the British Army, was one of the founders of the band "Me'ein Zeh" of the Jewish Brigade and composed some of its songs, among them "Shalechet" ("Deep sadness in the eyes").

For example, his poem "Five left a to build a homeland" is a response to the murder of the five Jews by Arab rioters, after whom the Kibbutz Ma'ale HaHamisha was named.