Lea Goldberg is one of Israel's most beloved writers; her poems, plays and children's books have been translated into many languages, and are part of the canon of Israeli literature.

She was born in Königsberg, East Prussia in 1911 and received a PhD in Semitic Languages from Bonn University before immigrating to Palestine in 1935. Best known as a poet, Goldberg was the author of children's books, plays and essays. She was also a theater critic, editor, translator and founder of Hebrew University's Department of Comparative Literature, where she served as chairperson for nearly twenty years. Goldberg was awarded many prizes, including the Israel Prize for Literature, posthumously, in 1970. The State of Israel will issue a banknote with Goldberg's image in 2012