Enjoy this assortment of festivals, carnivals and tours to help you celebrate the holiday.
By MEITAL SHARABINeot Kedumim(photo credit: ELDAD MAESTRO)
Purim is one of the most spirited holidays on the Jewish calendar, and this year’s list of activities around the country does not disappoint. Enjoy this assortment of festivals, carnivals and tours to help you celebrate the holiday.NEOT KEDUMIMWhile most of us are familiar with the Purim story, not everyone knows the secrets behind each character. At Neot Kedumim, visitors can join a guided tour during which the characters from Shushan will come to life and explain their connection with their natural surroundings. For example, visitors will learn how myrrh was used to make Queen Esther’s favorite perfume, or that the wine that King Ahasuerus loved to drink was made in an ancient winepress, just like the one found in Neot Kedumim. Guests will learn how to prepare incense bags, colorful bracelets and henna tattoos.Date: March 11; 2.5-hour tour begins at 9 a.m.Price: NIS 40 (under 4 free).Details: (08) 977-0770, www.n-k.org.ilKFAR MASARYKNow that Purim is just around the corner, and spring is in the air, this is a great time to set out on a trip to the Western Galilee, which is packed with colorful flowers. The Western Galilee Association and a number of tourist sites are inviting the public to a unique Purim festival that is full of fun activities, such as creating colorful masks out of leather at Omnia Studio and joining an Alice in Wonderland-style banquet at Sod Hakesem Hakibutzi in Kfar Masaryk.There will be light refreshments at Omnia and guests will get to hear the fascinating life story of local artist Eldad Bachar.
Date: March 7, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Price: NIS 65 including mask workshop. Chaperones: NIS 25.Details: 052-839-1797Guests at the banquet at Sod Hakesem Hakibutzi are invited to come in costume and enjoy the music, grape juice and hamantashen.Date: March 7, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.Price: NIS 40 (under 3 free)Details: 052-555-7271, 052-834-6575.HAIFA MUSEUM OF ARTThe Art Center at the Haifa Museum of Art will be hosting colorful Purim happening with lots of fun activities for kids (ages 5 and up) and the whole family. There will be a tour of the My Room exhibition, an animation workshop called “Stop Motion” in which participants create their own animation video on their smartphone, and lots of other fun arts and crafts workshops.Location: Haifa Museum of Art, 26 Shabtai Levy St., Haifa.Date: March 11, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Price: NIS 25, includes entrance fee to museum.Details: www.hma.org.ilEIN KESHATOTThe Ein Keshatot National Heritage Site will be taking guests on a fascinating tour of the historical Jewish site, during which participants will visit the remains of an ancient synagogue that was constructed more than 1,500 years ago, and abandoned Syrian houses that were built on top of an ancient Jewish village. Visitors will see the famous arches, for which the site was named, as well as a number of springs that flow through the area. Kids will be enticed by the clever riddles they have to solve in order to find the lost key to the treasure chest.Dates: March 9 to 11.Price: Adults NIS 25; Children NIS 15 (under 5 free).Details: www.einkeshatot.org.il or on Facebook.ISRAELI HONEY BOARDEnjoy special honey activities at apiaries around the country this Purim. Everyone who gets dressed up as a honeybee or anything connected with it can take their picture and post it on the Honey Board’s Facebook page by March 13 and the most unique one will receive a sweet prize. Post must include picture, name, location, age, telephone number, the name of the photographer and permission to post the picture.YESUD HAMA’ALAAt Hakol Dvash in Yesud Hama’ala, guests will get to tour with beekeeper Amit Yosef, who will show you what a honey factory looks like, explain why it’s in our best interest to maintain healthy natural surroundings for bees, screen a short film and, of course, offer tastes of local honey. Kids can do fun art projects, and if they come dressed up as a bee, they get in free!Location: Yesud Hama’ala Industrial ZoneDates: All week, except for Shabbat.Price: NIS 24 (under 3 free).Details: 050-227-5452, 050-247-7991,www.honey.org.ILCAESAREA NATIONAL PARKDon’t miss the medieval-style Purim carnival at Caesarea National Park, which will feature a duel between knights, a dance performance, interaction with court jesters, and a circus. There will also be unique workshops, including a sword-making activity.Date: March 14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Price: Adults NIS 39, Children NIS 24.Details: *6550JANCO DADA MUSEUMThe Janco Dada Museum is inviting the public to celebrate Purim with a festive Adloyada Parade. There will be workshops and guided tours of the sculptures in different locations in the Ein Hod Artist Village. In the experiential Dadalab, visitors can pretend to be a Dada artist and create unique interdisciplinary works of art.Location: Ein Hod Artist Village.Dates: March 10 and 11. Dadalab: 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (lasts 90 minutes).Tours begin at 11:30 and workshops at 12:30.Price: NIS 50 per person for entire day; Family ticket (3 people) NIS 140; Parent + child for one activity NIS 50.Details: (04) 984-2350, www.jancodada.co.ilGAN-GAROO AUSTRALIAN PARKPepe the Clown will be leading guests on an entertaining tour of Gan-Garoo this Purim. Although Pepe’s tour will be full of jokes and laughter, it will also provide interesting tidbits about Aboriginal Australians, such as ancient customs and rituals involving wild animals.Date: March 7, first tour begins at 11 a.m., second at 1:30 p.m. Pre-registration not necessary.Price (includes tour): NIS 59 (under 2 free)Details: (04) 648-8060.Translated by Hannah Hochner.
