Born in Germany, Amichai immigrated to Palestine in 1935 and became one of Israel’s best-known poets and the poet laureate of Jerusalem. He fought for the British in World War II, then with the Palmach. His poetry features themes of war, peace and loss and has been translated into more than 40 languages. One of the first Israeli poets to write in colloquial Hebrew, he won many international prizes.
Photo: Fritz Cohen, Israeli Government Press Office