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Singer Arik Einstein: a synonym for all things Israeli

Israelis grieve the sudden passing away of singer Arik Einstein, an indispensable part of Israel's music heritage; "Einstein is dead and something has also died in each and every one of us."
A placard depicting Israeli singer Arik Einstein is placed atop his coffin ahead of a memorial ceremony before his funeral at Rabin square in Tel Aviv November 27, 2013. For many Israelis, nothing symbolised home more than singer Einstein, and on Wednesday a nation mourned the death of its king of cool. Einstein died of a ruptured aneurysm on Tuesday night at the age of 74. REUTERS/Nir Elias (ISRAEL - Tags: SOCIETY ENTERTAINMENT OBITUARY) - RTX15UZH
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How can you explain to non-Israelis who Arik Einstein was? How can you even come to terms with the fact that Arik Einstein "was" in the past tense? How can you possibly translate him to an equivalent in Americana?

Was he something like Bruce Springsteen? No, he wasn't. Bruce is "The Boss." Einstein was the exact opposite. Humble and horribly timid, he led a reclusive life in his apartment for more than 20 years. Retiring from public performances in 1981, he grew ever more distant, slowly disappearing, like a lost satellite sailing into the far and empty reaches of space. Yet paradoxically, he remained an unshakable anchor, a towering lighthouse of Israeli music, indeed, all things Israeli. He symbolized yesteryear's Israel — not the one that sanctifies land, but the one celebrating exuberant life, creativity, reticent humor and regular folks.

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