Yehoram Gaon

Popular Israeli singer and actor and the son of Sephardic immigrants. Yehoram Gaon grew up in Jerusalem and aspired to be an actor. During his army service he performed in the Nahal entertainment troupe, but he did not formally begin his singing career until his release from the army. He performed with several singing groups, and achieved his first major professional appearance with his leading role in the musical Kazablan. Since then, Gaon’s career as a singer, actor, and director has flowered. He has produced almost fifty albums, including of Ladino music, has performed extensively in Israel and abroad, and has starred in television and movie productions. Among these is Operation Thunderbolt, the movie made about the 1976 rescue at Entebbe which starred Gaon as Yoni Netanyahu. He has recently compered the Israel Broadcasting Authority documentary series for the Jubilee Year, entitled, “T’kuma”.

In addition to his work in performing arts, Gaon has recently entered the political arena. In 1993 he was elected to the Jerusalem City Council and has worked extensively for the city, primarily in the area of cultural and municipal arts. He has indicated that he may well be interested in pursuing a political career, but retains his interest in promoting Israel, together with its popular and folk music.