Yedidiya Admon

Yedidiya Admon (Gorochov) was an Israeli composer and one of the founders of Hebrew song in the early 20th century, combining European and Hasidic elements alongside Arabic influences. He composed numerous songs, including dozens of holiday tunes that became deeply embedded in the Jewish settlement (Yishuv).

Admon was born on December 5, 1894, in Russia, and immigrated to the Eretz Yisrael in 1906. He studied at the Teachers’ Seminary directed by David Yellin and sang in the choir of Abraham Zvi Idelsohn. With the outbreak of World War I, he moved with his family to Egypt, where he enlisted in the British Army. He returned to Israel in 1919 and began working for the Mandatory government as a senior accountant.

In 1923, he traveled to the United States aspiring to pursue a singing career. Reflecting on this in his autobiography, he wrote:

“One day I read in the press that a certain radio station was holding auditions for singers […] It suddenly occurred to me to use the same melodies I used to improvise at friends’ gatherings […] and I sang them one melody without words […] The result was a contract for six performances. Sometime later, another radio station approached me and asked for the sheet music for a few of my songs […] but since I improvised the songs freely, the problem of writing down the notation arose.”

In 1926, he returned to the Land of Israel.

Admon composed the music for the play “Queen Esther” by Kadish Yehuda Silman, which featured the song “Shoshanat Ya’akov” (The Rose of Jacob). The song became a folk anthem and is still sung today, particularly during Purim. He was deeply active in advocating for artists’ rights and status, helping draft the original bylaws for ACUM (The Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers of Music in Israel). In 1946, he was elected Chairman of ACUM, a position he held until 1958.

Yedidiya Admon’s first wife was the renowned pianist and piano teacher Emma Gorochov. His second wife was the singer, Esther Admon. In 1974, he was awarded the Israel Prize for his life’s work and contributions to Hebrew song and culture in Israel. He passed away on April 2, 1982. A street in Beer Sheva is named in his honor.