Uzi Hitman

Uzi Hitman
Official Medal, 2005/5765

This new medal honors the memory of Uzi Hitman (1952-2004), one of the most popular Israeli songwriters and performers of the 1980’s and 1990’s. After singing in an army song troupe during his IDF service, he came to fame at the 1976 Hassidic Song Festival, where he performed “Adon Olam” (Lord of the Universe), a traditional Jewish prayer for which he had composed new music. His new melody immediately became popular with Jewish communities worldwide. The birth of Hitman’s eldest son Ido in 1978 inspired one of his most famous songs, “Noladati Lashalom” (I Was Born for Peace) which he later dedicated to Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, the first Arab leader to sign a peace agreement with Israel. The son of Holocaust survivors, he was, in his son’s words, “married to the State of Israel – he loved the country, he loved the State, he loved the land”.

Obverse: On the medal face is a portrait of Uzi Hitman and sections of some of his most famous songs.

Reverse: On the reverse, the words of the prayer “Adon Olam”, which has been part of the Jewish liturgy since the 15th century, and the music Uzi Hitman composed for this prayer.

Designer: Aharon Shevo.