Writer Yehuda Atlas laid to rest; his son eulogized: "You brought the voice of children"

Writer and poet Yehuda Atlas, author of "And This Child Is Me," was laid to rest at age 89, with many cultural figures in attendance. His son Noam eulogized his mission to bring the voice of children to the forefront. Atlas published about 40 books, won the Prime Minister's Prize and a Lifetime Achievement Award, and worked as a journalist.

Writer and poet Yehuda Atlas, one of Israel's greatest children's creators and author of the iconic book "And This Child Is Me," was laid to rest on Sunday at age 89. The funeral, attended by family members, admirers, and prominent cultural figures, included moving eulogies from his son, Noam Atlas, who described his father as "a precise, devoted worker like no other" who saw a mission "to bring the voice of children to center stage." Atlas passed away over the weekend at Ichilov Medical Center after a prolific career during which he published about 40 books for children and adults, edited newspaper supplements, and translated many works. Family members noted that until his final moments he "was an eternal child," acting out of deep emotion and a desire to help the weak. Atlas, who won the Prime Minister's Prize for Hebrew Writers and a Lifetime Achievement Award for Children's Literature, burst onto the scene in 1977 with the publication of his book "And This Child Is Me." Alongside his writing, he served as deputy editor of the "7 Days" supplement of Yedioth Ahronoth and managed a department for children's literature research.