Departures of note

Gilad Ben Shach was born in Gedera in 1941, the eldest son of the journalist, writer and poet Yehuda Ben Shach, who wrote under the pen name Yehuda HaGedrati. He began his musical career in the 1960s, composing and translating songs for performers including Ilan and Ilanit, for whom he wrote "Lechol Adam Kochav", "Dapei Yoman" and "Sigaliyot", as well as "Yom Shel Chidot" performed by Ilanit in her solo career. In the late 1960s he joined Kol Yisrael, where he served as the first music editor of the program "BeChatzi HaYom" and edited programs such as "Keset veAfarkeset" and "Oti Ze Matzchik". With the founding of Reshet Gimel in the summer of 1976, he was chosen as head of the station's entertainment department, and over the following decades edited many programs including "Al Bituach" (for which he also wrote the theme song), "Zamar Kaze", "Agadat Deshe", "Matok Me'az", "Yelid Ha'Aretz" and the HaGashash HaHiver marathon. He also edited several song collections, including "Tziyonei Haderech" and "50 Shana 50 Shirim", the jubilee album for Israel, and the Ein Gev festival. He died on 1 October 2026 at the age of 85.