# Ayin Hillel > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ayin_Hillel > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ayin_Hillel.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayin_Hillel > Source revision: 1357098696 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Israeli poet and children's writer Ayin Hillel, 1949 **Ayin Hillel** ([Hebrew](/source/Hebrew_language): ע. הלל) was the pen name of **Hillel Omer** (4 August 1926 - 30 June 1990, [Hebrew](/source/Hebrew_language): הלל עומר), an [Israeli](/source/Israel) [poet](/source/Poet), children's author, and landscape architect.[1] ## Biography Hillel Kotovitz (later Omer) was born in Kibbutz [Mishmar HaEmek](/source/Mishmar_HaEmek) in the [Jezreel Valley](/source/Jezreel_Valley) to Binyamin and Shlomit Kotovitz. He fought in the [Palmach](/source/Palmach) during the [1948 Arab-Israeli War](/source/1948_Arab-Israeli_War). From 1954 to 1969 he was a [landscape designer](/source/Landscape_designer) in [Jerusalem](/source/Jerusalem). He designed the city's botanical and biblical gardens and continued to work in landscaping after moving to Tel Aviv.[2] He was married to Zipporah Lerman, with whom he had three daughters, Tal Omer, Nuli Omer and Loulou Omer.[3] ## Literary career Ayin Hillel's work has been translated into [English](/source/English_language), [French](/source/French_language), [German](/source/German_language), [Greek](/source/Greek_language), [Hungarian](/source/Hungarian_language), [Spanish](/source/Spanish_language), and [Russian](/source/Russian_language). Among his most famous compositions are "Why Does the Zebra Wear Pajamas" (1959) and "Uncle Simcha" (1964).[4] Ayin Hillel's poem, *Hanesher* (*The Vulture*), is written in [Biblical Hebrew](/source/Biblical_Hebrew), but expresses the doubts and disillusions of the twentieth century. ## Awards and recognition - 1976: Levi Eshkol Prize [5] - 1986 Yaakov Fichman Prize[5] - 1988: [Aharon Ze'ev](/source/Aharon_Ze'ev) Prize for Children's and Youth Literature, lifetime achievement award[6] - 1990: [Hans Christian Andersen Award](/source/Hans_Christian_Andersen_Award) for his contribution to children's literature.[7] ## Published works ### Poetry - *The Noon Country,* Sifriat Poalim, 1950 [Eretz Ha-Tzohorayim] - *Nisra, The Author,* 1962 [Nisra] - *Hunting Madness,* Am Oved, 1964 [Teruf Toref] - *Eulogy, Hakibbutz Hameuchad,* 1973 [Hodayah] - *Speak,* Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1980 [Dabri] - *Joseph and Potiphar's Wife,* Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1982 [Yossef Ve-Eshet Potifar] - *Until Now,* Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1983 [Ad Co] - *Holon's Fables,* Sifriat Poalim, 1991 [Mishlei Holon] ### Children's books Dodi Simha sculpture - *Why Does the Zebra Wear Pajamas?*, Sifriat Poalim, 1959 [Lama Loveshet Ha-Zebra Pijama] - *Abroad, Abroad!,* Sifriat Poalim, 1960 [Hutz La-Aretz, Hutz La-Aretz] - *Nobody Can See Me,* Massada, 1967 [Oti Lir'ot Af Ehad Lo Iachol] - *Uncle Simcha,* Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1969/99 [Dodi Simha] - *I'm a Warbler,* Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1970 [Ani Pashosh] - *Good Morning,* Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1971 [Boker Tov] - *Bulbul, Why?*, Massada, 1972 [Bulbul, Lama Kacha?] - *Birdie, Birdie,* Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1973 [Rom Tziporim Tziporim Tzip] - *Giraffe in Blue Jeans,* Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1976 [Giraf Be-Jeans Kahol] - *Uncle Simcha's Voice,* Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1976 [Kol Dodi Simha] - *How Are You Mrs. Ladybird,* Am Oved, 1977 [Shalom Lach Para Moshe Rabenu] - *From Fly To Elephant,* Keter, 1977 [Mi-Zvuv Ve-Ad Pil] - *A Story About Cats,* Keter, 1977 [Ma'ase Be-Hatulim] - *Yossi, Smart Child of Mine,* Massada, 1978 [Yossi Yeled Sheli Mutzlah] - *Unbelievable,* Ministry of Education, 1978 [Lo Yeuman] - *When Uncle Simcha Sings,* Zionist Confederation, 1984 [Ke-She Dod Simha Shar] - *I'm a Warbler, Certainly and Maybe,* Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1987 [Ani Pashosh Betah Ve-Ulai] - *The Book of Scribble-songs,* R. Sirkis, 1988 [Sefer Ha-Kishkushirim] - *A Cloud in My Hand,* Sifriat Poalim, 1989 [Anan Ba-Yad] - *It Happened to a Fawn,* Kinneret, 1989 [Ma'ase Be-Ofer Ayalim] - *Ayin Hillel's Big Book,* Am Oved, 1992 [Ha-Sefer Ha-Gadol Shel Ayin Hillel] - *A Kibbutz Adventure,* London, F. Warne, 1963 ### Other - *Blue and Thorns* (*Tkehlet vekotzim*), Sifriyat Hapoalim, 1977 Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Ayin Hillel](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Ayin_Hillel). ## See also - [Hebrew literature](/source/Hebrew_literature) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Every word a precious stone, Haaretz](https://web.archive.org/web/20100825135003/http://www.haaretz.com/magazine/friday-supplement/every-word-a-precious-stone-1.309224) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [The Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature: Ayin Hillel](https://www.ithl.org.il/page_13696) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Every word a precious stone, Haaretz](https://web.archive.org/web/20100825135003/http://www.haaretz.com/magazine/friday-supplement/every-word-a-precious-stone-1.309224) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Every word a precious stone, Haaretz](https://web.archive.org/web/20100825135003/http://www.haaretz.com/magazine/friday-supplement/every-word-a-precious-stone-1.309224) 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-era_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-era_5-1) Esther Raizen, [WOULD THAT BE ME! AYIN HILLEL, AN ENVIRONMENTAL WRITER](https://www.jstor.org/stable/27913806), *Hebrew Studies*, Vol. 47 (2006), pp. 343-361 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [נספח מם 1 פרס זאב](https://library.osu.edu/projects/hebrew-lexicon/99995-files/99995102/99995102-01-272-274.pdf) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Every word a precious stone, Haaretz](https://web.archive.org/web/20100825135003/http://www.haaretz.com/magazine/friday-supplement/every-word-a-precious-stone-1.309224) Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States France BnF data Netherlands Israel Catalonia Belgium Artists MusicBrainz Other IdRef Open Library SNAC Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ayin Hillel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayin_Hillel) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayin_Hillel?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). 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