Poet, author Yehuda Atlas passed away at age 89, Sourasky Medical Center announces
"In his life, he acted and worked for people out of emotion and a desire to help," said the hospital when announcing Atlas's passing.
Yehuda Atlas, the renowned Israeli poet and author, passed away at the age of 89 on Thursday, according to a statement from Sourasky Medical Center's Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv. Throughout his life, Atlas was driven by emotion and a desire to help others, working as an editor, children's writer, and translator. In his later years, he focused on writing about children at risk, motivated by a sense of mission. The statement concluded with the blessing, "May his memory be blessed."
Atlas was one of the most recognizable and beloved authors in Hebrew children's literature, with his works becoming an integral part of the childhoods of several generations in Israel. His most famous book, "And This Child Is Me" (Vehayeled Haze Hu Any), published in 1977, introduced readers to a child's world through simple, direct, and everyday language as the protagonist grappled with various emotions and situations.
In an interview with Walla Culture, Atlas shared his writing principles, stating that he aimed to write briefly, simply, understandably, and truthfully. He also criticized a trend in children's books that he felt were overly educational or therapeutic, warning that by the time the problems were fully described, the books had reached their conclusion. Atlas believed that life was a long process, and by the time the audience understood the issue, the story had already ended.
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