The Woman who Planted Bubble Gum Seeds

For generations of Israelis, Leah Naor’s works are part of the soundtrack of childhood. A songwriter, author, translator, playwright and screenwriter – still active at 91 – Naor has spent more than seven decades creating the songs, stories and TV shows that helped shape Israeli popular culture, including writing one of the country’s most iconic musicals for children, Zraim shel Mastic – literally meaning “Bubble gum seeds” – with music by Nachum Heiman (1934–2016).

Born in Herzliya in 1935, Naor attended the Einot Agricultural School and later served in the Nahal, becoming one of the founders of Kibbutz Nahal Oz in southern Israel – one of the kibbutzim that in 2023 suffered the brutal and devastating attack on October 7. Naor studied literature at Tel Aviv University, but her first real education was, by her own account, at home: her family always owned lots of books, and Leah read and wrote avidly from a very young age.

Although she never planned to, Naor became a prolific writer for children, producing books, plays and songs as well as scripts for some of Israel’s most beloved children’s TV shows.

Her reach extends far beyond children’s entertainment. Naor has written extensively for military ensembles, and her songs became part of the repertoire of generations of Israelis.

She is perhaps equally well-known for bringing the work of Dr. Seuss to Hebrew-speaking children. She translated 35 of his books, including “The Cat in the Hat” – keeping the American children’s author’s whimsical, revolutionary genius perfectly intact – earning the Hans Christian Andersen Award for her translations. She also translated such classics as Rudyard Kipling’s “Just So Stories” and “The Little Engine That Could”.

Main Photo: Leah naor\ Wikipedia