Shmuel “Shmulik” Kraus (Hebrew: שמוליק קראוס; July 1, 1935 – February 17, 2013) was an Israeli pop-rock singer, composer, and actor. Kraus, one of the pioneers of Israeli music, underwent various personal crises in the course of his career. He appeared in several films, including Rocking Horse and Hole in the Moon, and composed songs for other performers, such as Shalom Hanoch. He was also known for his music for children based on the lyrics of Miriam Yalan-Shteklis.
Kraus was born in the Nahalat Ahim quarter of Jerusalem. He was one of four brothers. His mother, Rosa, was a housewife, and his father, Musa, was a driver. Kraus began his career in the arts by teaching tap dance in Haifa. After serving in the Israeli Navy, he worked as a merchant seaman. Kraus married Josie Katz, who eventually divorced him and left the country in the early 1980s to develop an independent career. In March 1971, Kraus was arrested for illegal gun possession after threatening Israeli soldiers sent to evict him from a building he had constructed on a plot near Nebi Samuel, which he said he had inherited from his father. According to the authorities, the Ottoman deed he held was not valid. On February 17, 2013, Kraus died of swine influenza.
Kraus began to sing at the end of the 1950s along with Abraham Reichstadt (known as Avi Ofarim, before inclusion of Esther Ofarim). He composed and performed the “prairie house”, a song written in memory of his father, who was active in the establishment of Kibbutz Beit HaArava.
In the early 1960s, he met Josie Katz, later his wife, who came to Israel from the United States to volunteer at a kibbutz. He became her partner and produced her as a club singer in Eilat and Tel Aviv. In 1966, he, Katz and Arik Einstein established The High Windows band. Kraus composed all the group’s songs, pop songs and rock that were innovative for their time.
In the early 70s, Kraus participated in recording albums of Arik Einstein. He composed songs to Einstein (“When you cry, you’re not pretty”), Arik Lavie (“It Happens”), to Katz band (“Ballad for a Kibbutz deserter”) and the “Good, the Bad and the Girl” group (“Days of Cinema”).
In 1971, he was charged with illegal gun possession and spent time in prison. During his incarceration, he wrote songs for his first solo album, The State of Israel vs. Kraus Shmuel. One song, “Hot Friday,” was banned from the airwaves because it was about smoking hashish. A color video clip was also disqualified because Kraus appears in it smoking cannabis.
In 1975, Kraus and Josie Katz put out an album of songs based on the poems of Miriam Yalan-Shtekelis.
Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon chose his song “Hatishma Koli” to be played while he orbited earth on the Columbia space shuttle in 2003
12 thoughts on “Kaminos”
Was Nicholas related to Alexander Saslavsky who married Celeste Izolee Todd?
Anyone have a contact email for Yair Klinger or link to score for Ha-Bayta?
wish to have homeland concert video played on the big screen throughout North America.
can organize here in Santa Barbara California.
contacts for this needed and any ideas or suggestions welcomed.
Nat farber is my great grandpa 😊
Are there any movies or photos of max kletter? His wife’s sister was my stepmother, so I’m interested in seeing them and sharing them with his wife’s daughter.
The article says Sheb recorded his last song just 4 days before he died, but does not tell us the name of it. I be curious what it was. I’d like to hear it.
Would anyone happen to know where I can find a copy of the sheet music for a Gil Aldema Choral (SATB) arrangement for Naomi Shemer’s “Sheleg Al Iri”. (Snow on my Village)?
Joseph Smith
Kol Ram Community Choir, NYC
Shalom Joseph. I just saw your 2024 post by chance… I’m a mostly-retired Israeli journalist and translator. In 2003 I translated into English the content (the objective was to remain true to the meaning, not to cadence or rhyme) of poems and lyrics of 48 of Israel’s most iconic songs arranged by Aldema for choirs abroad singing in Hebrew (the words in the scores are transliterated) but members of the choir lack mastery of Hebrew to ‘know’ exactly what they are saying/singing… The book was titled in English “A Merry Choir” – in Hebrew מקהלה עליזה . See if you can find a copy in a used book store, it is priceless and apparently out-of-print – well worth the search. If not, they may have a copy at Tel Aviv Amenu Museum’s music department – write them and see if they can send it to you. Or – if you will contact me via Whatsapp – (972) 546872768 or via my email – I will try and find the book (it is not where it ‘should be’ so I have to search) and I will photograph the score with my cell and send to you as an attachment. Best, Daniella Ashkenazy – Kfar Warburg.
שלום שמעון!
לא שכחתי אותך. עזבתי את ישראל בפברואר 1998 כדי להביא את בני האוטיסט לקבל את העזרה המקצועית שלא הייתה קיימת אז בישראל. זה סיפור מאוד עצוב וטרגי, אבל אני הייתי היחיד עם ביצים שהביא אותו והייתי הורה יחיד בשבילו במשך חמישה חודשים. הוא היה אז בן 9. כעת הוא בן 36 ומתפקד באופן עצמאי. נתתי לו הזדמנות לעתיד נורמלי. בטח, אבות כולם חרא, אומרים הפמינציות, אבל כולם צריכים לעבוד כמטרות במטווחי רובה!
משה קונג
(Maurice King)
Thank you for this wonderful remembrance of Herman Zalis. My late father, Henry Wahrman, was one of his students. Note the correct spelling of his name for future reference. Thank you again for sharing this.
Tirza Wahrman (Mitlak)
amazing zchuso yagein aleinu, he wrote the famous niggun Lefichuch that is sung in almost every Israeli Yeshiva
My grandmother, Rose Ziperson, wrote the words to his music for a song called Main Shtetele, which he produced. I have the sheet music!