Geula’s
story.

Geula Zohar was born in Petach Tikva on February 2, 1928, to Shoshana and Zalman Tsoar. Music, singing, and folk-dancing were part of her life from the beginning.

Geula and Elazar

In 1946, she met Elazar Pedhazur. As the family’s original biography tells it, it was love at first sight. They married on August 5, 1947, surrounded by family and friends, and welcomed their daughter Liora in May 1950.

Performing in Melbourne

In 1955, Elazar’s work with youth groups took the family to Melbourne, Australia. Their son Hadar was born there in 1956. In Melbourne’s clubs and community gatherings, Geula began to realize her dream of performing.

After a return to Israel, the family moved to New York City. Elazar continued his youth work while studying at New York University. He received his Ph.D. in 1967 and joined NYU’s faculty, teaching until his retirement in 1990.

New York and the Shalom Trio

In New York, Geula became the lead singer of a folk-dancing and singing troupe, touring throughout the United States and Canada. She also performed as a soloist for Jewish and Zionist organizations.

With two Israeli musicians, she founded the Shalom Trio. Together they toured cities across the U.S. and Canada, while her solo appearances also took her to South America. Along the way, she released the three records preserved in this collection.

Her repertoire crossed languages: Hebrew, Yiddish, English, Greek, and Spanish. Yet she felt that the song that moved audiences most deeply was She’yiboneh Beis Hamikdosh — “Let the Holy Temple Be Rebuilt.”

Family celebrations

Geula sang at Hadar’s Bar Mitzvah and at the wedding of Liora and Alan Schmelkin. She also celebrated the marriage of Hadar and Lois Snitkoff. With the birth of granddaughter Danielle in 1972, she and Elazar became “Sabta and Saba.” Grandson Alex followed in 1976.

After Elazar’s retirement, they moved to Aventura, Florida. To friends there, Geula was “Gigi,” a companion for outings to the theater and time spent together.

In June 2001, she sang “Sunrise, Sunset” at Alex and Alissa’s wedding.

Adapted from the biography on Geula’s original family website, created for her 75th birthday in 2003.