Editing Chaim Topol (section)

==Biography==
Chaim Topol was born on 9 September 1935, in [[Tel Aviv]],{{sfn|Monaco|1991|p=537}}{{sfn|Maltin|1994|p=881}} in what was then [[Mandatory Palestine]]. His father Jacob Topol was born in [[Russian Empire|Russia]] and in the early 1930s [[aliyah|immigrated to Mandatory Palestine]], where he worked as a plasterer;{{sfn|Bonfante|1971|p=90}} he also served in the [[Haganah]] paramilitary organization.<ref name=i24>{{cite web |url= https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/culture/144142-170501-chaim-topol-a-fiddler-for-life|title= EXCLUSIVE: Fiddler on the Roof's Chaim Topol and his memories of Israeli independence|first=Maya|last=Margit|date=May 1, 2017|access-date=November 25, 2017|work=[[i24news]]}}</ref> His mother Imrela "Rel" (née Goldman) Topol was a seamstress.<ref name=news>{{cite web |url=http://www.news1.co.il/Archive/0024-D-56621-00.html|title=חיים טופול - החיים כמשחק|language=he|trans-title=Chaim Topol: Life as a Game|first=Shulamit|last=Kisri|date=February 10, 2011|access-date=November 28, 2017|work=[[News1]]}}</ref>

Topol's parents had been members of the [[Betar]] Zionist youth movement in [[Warsaw]].<ref name="Cashman Grapevine">{{cite web |last1=Cashman |first1=Greer Fay |title=Grapevine: Honors tarnished by omission |url=https://www.jpost.com/features/in-thespotlight/grapevine-honors-tarnished-by-omission-334131 |website=The Jerusalem Post |date=December 5, 2013 |access-date=March 9, 2023}}</ref> His father had [[Hasidic Jews|Hasidic]] roots, with a mother coming from a family of [[Ger (Hasidic dynasty)|Gerrer Hasidim]] and a father from [[Aleksander (Hasidic dynasty)|Aleksander Hasidim]].<ref name="Groweiss Mishpacha">{{cite web |last1=Groweiss |first1=Yisrael |title=Back to Tradition |url=https://mishpacha.com/back-to-tradition/ |website=[[Mishpacha]] |date=December 20, 2017 |access-date=March 9, 2023}}</ref>

Topol and his two younger sisters grew up in the South Tel Aviv working-class neighborhood of [[Florentin, Tel Aviv|Florentin]].<ref name="Buckard">{{cite web |last1=Buckard |first1=Christian |title=Chaim Topol, Schauspieler, Sänger, Maler, Schriftsteller |url=https://www.journal21.ch/artikel/chaim-topol-schauspieler-saenger-maler-schriftsteller |website=Journal21 |date=September 10, 2010 |access-date=March 9, 2023}}</ref> As a young child, although he wanted to become a commercial artist, his [[Primary school|elementary school]] teacher, the writer [[Yemima Avidar-Tchernovitz]], saw a theatrical side to him, and encouraged him to act in school plays and read stories to the class.<ref name=jp/>

At age 14 he began working as a printer at ''[[Davar]]'' newspaper while pursuing his high school studies at night.<ref name=jp/> He graduated at age 17 and moved to [[Kibbutz]] [[Geva]].<ref name=jp/> A year later, he enlisted in the [[Israel Defense Forces|Israeli army]] and became a member of the [[Nahal]] entertainment troupe, singing and acting in traveling shows.<ref name=jp/>{{sfn|Bial|2005|p=80}} He rose in rank to troupe commander.<ref name=jp/>

Twenty-three days after being discharged from military service on 2 October 1956, and two days after marrying Galia Finkelstein, a fellow Nahal troupe member, Topol was called up for [[Reserve duty (Israel)|reserve duty]] in the [[Suez Crisis|Sinai Campaign]].<ref name=jp/> He performed for soldiers stationed in the desert.

After the war, he and his wife settled in Kibbutz [[Mishmar David]], where Topol worked as a garage mechanic.<ref name=jp/> Topol assembled a kibbutz theatre company made up of friends from his Nahal troupe; the group toured four days a week, worked on their respective kibbutzim for two days a week, and had one day off.<ref name=jp/> The theatre company was in existence from early 1957 to the mid-1960s. Topol both sang and acted with the group, doing both "loudly".<ref name=jp/>

Topol and his wife Galia Finkelstein had three children: a son, Omer, and two daughters, Anat and Adi.<ref name=jp/> The couple resided in Galia's childhood home in Tel Aviv.<ref name=ap/> Topol's hobbies included sketching and sculpting.<ref name=jp/> Through Adi, his granddaughter [[Yali Topol Margalith]] is an actress.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/skq5w5w4a|title=Chaim Topol 'wasn’t just my Grandpa, but the world's'|website=Ynet|date=31 May 2024|accessdate=20 April 2025|language=en}}</ref>

In June 2022, Topol's son, Omer, revealed that his father was suffering from [[Alzheimer's disease]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 3, 2022 |title=עומר טופול: "אבא תמיד אמר לי, 'אם אגיע למצב כזה, תעזור לי למות'" |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/entertainment/article/s1lpcr7uq |access-date=June 5, 2022 |newspaper=Ynet |language=he |last1=בירנברג |first1=יואב }}</ref>

On 8 March 2023, Topol's family notified the press that he was near death and "living his final hours", and asked the public to respect the family's privacy.<ref>{{cite web |title=בנו של חיים טופול: "הוא בשעותיו האחרונות"|url=https://www.mako.co.il/culture-articles/Article-afed09c8651c681026.htm |website=Mako |date=March 8, 2023 |access-date=March 9, 2023}} {{in lang|he}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=השחקן חיים טופול הלך לעולמו בגיל 87 |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/entertainment/article/rJU3G5ORw |website=Ynet|date=March 9, 2023 |access-date=March 9, 2023|last1=בוקר |first1=רן }} {{in lang|he}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=חיים טופול, מגדולי השחקנים הישראלים וחתן פרס ישראל, מת בגיל 87 |url=https://www.haaretz.co.il/gallery/cinema/2023-03-09/ty-article/.premium/00000181-248b-df6a-a7c5-6cdbe94d0000 |newspaper=הארץ|access-date=March 9, 2023}} {{in lang|he}}</ref> He died overnight at the age of 87.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 9, 2023 |title=Chaim Topol, starred as Tevye in 'Fiddler on the Roof,' dies at 87 |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/3/9/23632014/chaim-topol-dead-israeli-actor-starred-fiddler-on-the-roof-as-tevye-obituary |access-date=March 9, 2023 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Actor, singer and Israel Prize laureate Chaim Topol dies at 87 |url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/368466 |website=[[Arutz Sheva]] |access-date=March 8, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/mar/09/chaim-topol-dead-fiddler-on-the-roof-actor-dies-death-aged-87|title=Chaim Topol, Fiddler on the Roof actor, dies aged 87|first=Sian|last=Cain|date=March 9, 2023|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> The day before his burial at [[Kvutzat Shiller]] on March 10, a memorial was held at the [[Cameri Theater]] in Tel Aviv.