Gideon Singer

Gideon Singer (Hebrew: גדעון זינגר; 29 June 1926 – 11 May 2015) was an Israeli actor and singer who built a career spanning stage, film, and television across multiple countries. Born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, he emigrated with his family to Israel in 1940 and survived the Patria shipwreck during that journey. He settled in Tel Aviv, where he took up singing and violin while working as a diamond polisher in his youth.

Singer served in the Palmach and participated in the Chizbatron during the late 1940s and early 1950s. He was also a member of a satirical singing group alongside Yaakov Ben-Sira, Shimon Bar, and Reuven Shefer. He competed twice in the Israel Song Festival before establishing himself as a stage actor, appearing regularly at the Habima Theatre, the Cameri Theatre, and the Beersheba Theatre. His stage work in Israel included productions of The Threepenny Opera, Twelfth Night, and numerous musicals.

His Israeli stage success led to opportunities in European and Broadway productions. In 1965, Singer appeared on Broadway in Man of La Mancha. His film credits include One Pound Only, I Like Mike, and Blaumilch Canal. On television, he appeared in Delet Haksamim and provided the Hebrew voice of Mr. Owl in Fabeltjeskrant.

Following his dismissal from the Habima Theatre in 1983, Singer relocated to Austria and settled permanently in Vienna by 1987. He continued working professionally there, contributing extensively to the Theater in der Josefstadt. His final screen appearance was a cameo in the 2015 film Woman in Gold. Singer returned to Israel on occasion, most notably for his 80th birthday.

Singer was married twice. His first marriage produced four children, including his son Joel, a lawyer who served as legal adviser to the Israeli Foreign Minister during the Oslo Accords. He married Shira Singer ten years before his death. Singer died on 11 May 2015 at Ichilov Hospital at the age of 88, following complications from heart surgery undergone before his departure from Austria. He was buried at Yarkon Cemetery.