Dudu Topaz
| Dudu Topaz | |
|---|---|
 Dudu Topaz, 2009 |
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| Born | David Goldenberg September 20, 1946 Haifa, Israel |
| Died | August 20, 2009 (aged 62) Nitzan Detention Center, Ramla, Israel |
| Occupation | Actor and TV personality |
Dudu Topaz (Hebrew: דודו טופז; September 20, 1946 – August 20, 2009) was an Israeli TV personality, comedian, actor, screenwriter, playwright, author and radio and television host. In August 2009 he committed suicide during his arrest, after being criminally charged with conspiring violence against prominent media figures in Israel.
In 2005, he was voted the 55th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.[1]
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[edit] Biography
David Goldenberg, later Dudu Topaz, was born in Haifa to Lilly and Eliyahu Goldenberg. His father was a radio announcer, actor and director. After his army service, Topaz studied acting in London. Upon his return, he performed with the Haifa Theatre and appeared in entertainment shows around the country. Topaz was married three times and had three sons.[2]
[edit] Entertainment career
In the 1970s, he took part in an Israeli radio show called "לצון נופל על לצון". His first job in television was as an English teacher in the Israeli Educational Television. In the early eighties Topaz began to direct television game shows in Channel 1. The most successful of those was the game show "Play It" (שחק אותה). His first television appearance was to teach English for an educational program. Topaz was a television host in the Israeli public TV Channel 1 in the eighties, as well as running some successful sketch comedy shows on stage.
In the nineties he was the host of popular show "Rashut Habidur" (The Entertainment Authority), that aired until 2004 on Channel 2 commercial channel, and is one of the highest rated shows ever aired on commercial TV in Israel.[3] After the show ended, Topaz hosted several other shows on other channels, but in May 2007 he announced that he would no longer host TV shows, but would pursue other careers such as acting and documentary film making.
[edit] Controversy
In 1981, Topaz gained notoriety from comments he made during an Israeli Labor Party conference in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square (then called Malchei Yisrael Square) when he said, "It's a pleasure to see the crowd here, and it's a pleasure to see that there are no chahchahim (a derogatory word alluding to Israeli Jews of Middle Eastern background) who ruin election gatherings. The Likud's chachchahim are at Metzudat Ze'ev." (Likud party headquarters)[4]
[edit] Criminal charges and suicide
In May 2009, Topaz was arrested by the Israeli police. He was suspected of paying for a series of attacks on high-ranking TV executives Avi Nir and Shira Margalit and showbiz agent Boaz Ben-Zion.[5] The three were beaten by unknown attackers and sustained serious wounds. Topaz allegedly went on this revenge spree when his show was taken off the air, and after multiple rejections from rival channels and newspapers for which he offered to write guest columns.[6]
He attempted to commit suicide in his prison cell, at the Abu Kabir Detention Center in Tel Aviv.[7] He was briefly hospitalized after taking an overdose of insulin, used to control his diabetes.[8]
A second suicide attempt on August 20, 2009 was successful, and at approximately 7 AM Topaz was found dead by a warden, hanged in a shower (the only place without video surveillance) in Nitzan Detention Center in Ramla.[9] He had apparently hanged himself using the cord from an electric kettle.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ גיא בניוביץ' (June 20, 1995). "הישראלי מספר 1: יצחק רבין – תרבות ובידור". Ynet. http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3083171,00.html. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
- ^ Dudu Topaz: Israeli television personality
- ^ דודו טופז ועד משה רבנו
- ^ "Dudu Topaz arrested for ordering attack on TV execs". The Jerusalem Post. http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1243346510982&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
- ^ "Editorial:The Dudu Topaz show". The Jerusalem Post. http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1244034988743. Retrieved July 3, 2009.
- ^ "Israel Talk Show Host Dudu Topaz Remanded". Sky News. http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Dudu-Topaz-Israel-Talk-Show-Host-To-Be-Held-In-Police-Cells/Article/200907115328082?f=vg. Retrieved July 3, 2009.
- ^ "Dudu Topaz attempts suicide in prison cell". Ynet. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3726045,00.html. Retrieved July 3, 2009.
- ^ Topaz admits: I also planned to attack ex-wife and her husband
- ^ "Entertainer Dudu Topaz commits suicide". Ynet. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3764530,00.html. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
- ^ "Entertainer Dudu Topaz kills himself in prison". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1108876.html. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
