FRIDAY, MAY 20
Barata is a cultural center in Jerusalem catering to people who grew up haredi and are now seeking a new path in their lives. They offer a home to those ostracized by their families, and arrange weekly Shabbat dinners and musical events at 15 David Avishar St.
If you wish to join an event or want to offer an idea: 054-959-6252 or barratta2015@gmail.com.
SUNDAY, MAY 22
Join the Museum Guy (Nachliel Selavan) on a virtual tour of The Four Kingdoms at 7 p.m. The four kingdoms are Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The virtual experience began at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC and is now offered at the Bible Lands Museum. Learn about the kingdoms and how they shaped our world today by visiting the Ishtar Gate and the palaces of Persia. NIS 45 per ticket. The online tour is in English.
To book, visit: www.museumtours.co.il/event-details/the-four-kingdoms-virtual-tourMay2022.
The Little Prince, a well-known bookstore, culture center and coffee shop in Tel Aviv, just opened a sister location in the capital (31 Jaffa St., Feingold Court). Come browse the shelves, and maybe sit down and leaf through some tomes with a cold drink in front of you. Those keen on LGBTQ+ issues might consider returning on Thursday (May 26) at 7 p.m. Dr. Amalia Ziv will discuss Girl Talk, her memoir of growing up queer in 1980s Tel Aviv. (Discussion is in Hebrew; admission is free).
MONDAY, MAY 23
Watch a theater adaptation of the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Hebrew with English and Russian subtitles) at 8:30 p.m. at the Jerusalem Theatre (20 Marcus St.). The plot focuses on Rashid (Doron Tavori), a Kabul shoe maker who marries a 14-year-old girl named Laila (Roni Einav) to have children – something his wife Mariam (Neta Shpigelman) is unable to do. As the Taliban take control of the country, the two women suffer more and more at Rashid’s hands – until they act. The Gesher Theater actors were trained in Farsi by Dr. Thamar Eilam Gindin to depict their respective roles as genuinely as possible.
NIS 220 per ticket. To book: (02) 560-5755.
TUESDAY, MAY 24
Join Matty Mariansky, the man behind the popular AI social media group Rise of the Machines on a special 2 p.m. Hebrew language guided tour of his works at the Latent Spaces exhibition (free). Mariansky uses AI and ideas from Sefer Yetzirah to suggest bold new ways to understand the power of the Hebrew language and human speech.
Visit the Yossi Nahmias Photography Gallery (37 HaNeviim St.) and sign up at bit.ly/3l9U6wk.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 25
Enjoy a special performance of Rossini’s The Silken Ladder, Bruch’s “Violin Concerto No. 1” and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 2” at a pay-as-you-like concert held in a working car service center (Shimon Brazili at 13 HaRashai HaBarzel St.). The Jerusalem Street Orchestra musicians will perform in great numbers (35 members) at 8:30 p.m.
To book, visit: www.eventer.co.il/event/pakp7/zA72L.
THURSDAY, MAY 26
Rex Cinema Does Exist is a special two-hours long Hebrew language tour of iconic cinema houses in the capital and how it was presented in films by CEO of the Jerusalem Films & TV fund Yoram Honig (6 p.m.). Come learn the secrets discovered by Natalie Portman and Richard Gere by signing up to this special (and free) event created by the Jerusalem Cinematheque for Jerusalem Day. Note that on the same evening Someone to Run With will be screened at 7 p.m. (Hebrew only), a fantastic chance to see the film adaptation to the David Grossman novel.
To register: contact@jer-cin.org.il.
Visit the 7 p.m. opening of the Wonder Woman group exhibition at the Marie Cooperative Gallery (12 Agripas St., enter from Albohar Alley) to enjoy works by Nomi Tannhauser, Parvin Shmueli Buchnik, Sarith Leila Haas and The Jerusalem Post’s very own Heddy Breuer Abramowitz. The respective artists are of different backgrounds and ethnicities and but they are all established artists in their 60’s offering a rich perspective on what it means to be a female artist in this country today.
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Until June 25. Admission is free.
HEADS UP: Explore the artistic legacy of late photographer Boaz Tal at a special exhibition at the Holon Institute of Design (HIT) Vitrina Gallery (63 Hoofien St., building 6). Tal became noted for his tongue-in-cheek portraits of his domestic surroundings, as a grand frontier adventurer. He also imitated allegedly highbrow art works by, among others, Van Gogh, by depicting his family members as The Potato Eaters and characters from other well-known paintings.
In this, he signaled a turn in Israeli art, later embraced by others. Among them, video-artist Guy Ben-Ner and his Berkeley’s Island. Based on the 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe, the playful 1999 video depicts the artist in his kitchen attempting to survive without leaving his house.
Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Until June 16. Admission is free.
Throwing a good party? Opening an art exhibition or a new bar? Bringing in a guest speaker to introduce a fascinating topic? Why not drop me a line at hagay_hacohen@yahoo.com and let In Jerusalem know about it? Send emails with “Jerusalem Highlights” in the subject line. While all information is welcome, we cannot guarantee it will be featured in the column. *Due to COVID-19 we advise readers to phone ahead or check online to ensure listed events have not been changed at the last minute.