COINS FROM THE TEMPLE MOUNT A NEW EXHIBITION OPENS IN THE DAVIDSON CENTER, JERUSALEM

25 November 2009

COINS FROM THE TEMPLE MOUNT
A NEW EXHIBITION OPENS IN THE DAVIDSON CENTER, JERUSALEM

Visitors to the Davidson Center in the Jerusalem Archaeological Garden, near the Western Wall, can now visit an exhibition of the different kinds of coins uncovered in Israel Antiquities Authority excavations at the foot of the Temple Mount – the most ancient of which are more than 2,000 years old.

The coins are a living tangible testimony of Jerusalem’s rich history and the city as a focus of pilgrimage for thousands of years. Among the many artifacts on display are a rare collection of 2,000 year old coins that were burnt during the Great Revolt by the Jews (in which the Second Temple was destroyed), unique coins minted in Jerusalem during this period, as well as those that were found in different excavations in the region and have a wide geographic provenance (from Persia, via North Africa and as far as France) - attesting to the centrality of Jerusalem for pilgrims.

Unlike pagan coins, Jewish coins portray a variety of inanimate symbols, such as a wreath, scepter and helmet, rather than the rulers that appear on pagan coins. This is due to the Jewish abstention from portraying images (“You shall not make for yourself a graven image or likeness of anything…”).

In addition, a fragment of a large sarcophagus lid, engraved with an inscription in square script that is characteristic of the Second Temple period, is on display for the first time in the Davidson Center. The lid is meticulously fashioned and the carved inscription on it reads: “…Ben HaCohen HaGadol…” (son of the high priest), probably one of the priests who officiated there between the years 30 and 70 CE.

Entrance to the exhibit, which will be open until at least mid 2010, is included in the cost of the admission ticket to the Jerusalem Archaeological Garden – Davidson Center (located between Dung Gate and the Western Wall plaza).

http://www.archpark.org.il/

16th FESTIVAL OF FESTIVALS IN HAIFA

16 November 2009

16th FESTIVAL OF FESTIVALS IN HAIFA
THE COLORFUL FESTIVAL, WHICH PROMOTES COEXISTENCE AND PEACE, CELEBRATES THE
DECEMBER FESTIVALS OF THE THREE MONOTHEISTIC RELIGIONS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF
CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC EVENTS
5, 12, 19 AND 26 DECEMBER

The colorful Festival of Festivals, now in its 16th year, takes place every weekend in December in Haifa's mixed Arab-Jewish Wadi Nisnas neighborhood. The festival promotes good neighborly relations, with cultural and artistic events that celebrate the three main religious festivals that fall in December - Chanuka, Christmas and Eid al-Adha. Entrance to all the events is free (except for concerts, exhibition and Haifa Museum).

This year, the festival includes an art exhibition featuring the works of 50 Jewish and Arab artists in Wadi Nisnas; an art trail and an exhibition of paper cuts by international artist Tzipora Neeman with the cooperation of Jewish and Arab women; photography and video exhibits; an antiques fair that opens on 28 November and runs for five weekends at Beit Hagefen; arts and crafts fair; a children’s art exhibition; folklore concerts by the Romanian gypsy band Fanfara Shavale and others; music concerts in Haifa's churches and concert halls that combine liturgy, Arab and Israeli music (for a fee); street activities and free shows for adults and children; art activities and creative workshops for children; ethnic food stalls; coexistence routes of song and literature in Wadi Nisnas, marked by posters lining the streets; processions, carnivals, folklore dancing and more.

The festival, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year, is produced by the Municipality of Haifa and Gefen House (a Jewish-Arab center in Haifa), in cooperation with residents of the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood. Further information on the festival in English will be available on http://www.haifahag.co.il/ or from the Haifa Tourist Board,
tel.: 972 4 8535606 or http://www.tour-haifa.co.il/.

'HAMSHUSHALAYIM' 2009

15 November 2009

'HAMSHUSHALAYIM' 2009
THREE WINTER WEEKENDS OF TOURISM, CULTURE, FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT IN JERUSALEM
26-28 November; 3-5 and 10-12 December 2009

Jerusalem will once again host its main cultural city-wide event during the last weekend in November (Thursday through Saturday) and the first two weekends in December. The event is known as 'Hamshushalayim' - Hamshush is Hebrew slang for the long Israeli weekend of Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Tourists and visitors to Jerusalem will enjoy free entry (or for a nominal amount) to tens of tourist and cultural attractions in the city, including, among many others, the Israel Museum, the Science Museum, the Bible Lands Museum, the Museum of Italian Jewry, the Museum of Islamic Art, the Tower of David Museum, the City of David, the Davidson Center and the Old City Walls Promenade. Free entry to the museums available from 21:00 – 02:00. Many of the sites will host live performances, attractions and special activities that are unique to the Hamshushalayim event, such as the a-capella concert in the Shrine of the Book, live jazz at the Davidson Center, opera at the Museum of Italian Jewish Art, ethnic music at the Museum of Islamic Art and special street performances at the Mamilla Boulevard.

Many sites, museums and places of entertainment will remain open on Thursday nights till the early hours of the morning. In addition, there will be hundreds of special guided walking tours, many free of charge, and some in English. Tours on Saturday are suitable for the Sabbath-observant. Hamshushalayim 2009 also includes a giant culinary festival, organized in conjunction with http://www.2eat.co.il/, with tens of the city's leading restaurants, cafes and pubs offering fixed price menus for 78 NIS per person, as well as Happy Hour on Saturday evenings. Other gourmet events will also take place throughout the capital.

With this year’s accent on the youth, there are special accommodation packages available for youth and activities that include student discounts at 30 city center pubs (some with live performances); a young designers’ fair at the Ma’abada and other musical events.

Detailed information on the Hamshushalayim 2009 program available from http://www.jerusalem.muni.il/Humshsh/eng/all.htm and the Tourism Ministry's Tourist Information Office inside the Jaffa gate (tel: 972 2 6280403). In addition to the regular office hours (Sun-Thurs 08:30 – 17:00), the office will remain open on Fridays till 22:00 during the three weekends of Hamshushalayim.

Hamshushalayim 2009 is an initiative of the Jerusalem Municipality's Tourism Authority, in cooperation with the Tourism Ministry, the Jerusalem Development Authority, the Jerusalem Hotels Association and the various cultural and tourist sites in the capital, produced by the Ariel Corporation.

TWO SPORTING EVENTS AT THE DEAD SEA

15 November 2009

TWO SPORTING EVENTS AT THE DEAD SEA
TOUR DE DEAD SEA 28 NOVEMBER 2009
VEOLIA DESERT CHALLENGE 5 DECEMBER 2009

The annual Tour de Dead Sea, a cycle race along the contours of the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, will take place on Saturday 28 November during a weekend of activities for the cyclists and their families. The cycle race, which is organized by the Tamar and Megillot Regional Councils, is designed to raise awareness about the Dead Sea and its unique environment. Cyclists can choose between three different routes, all of which promise spectacular desert scenery:

· A 12 kilometer family route suitable for children aged 6 and over on a flat route along the promenade liking the hotels in the Ein Bokek area.
· A 60 kilometer route for road and off-road cyclists with police escort, refreshment stops and rescue vehicles.
· A 100 kilometer route for experienced cyclists including steep climbs up Metzoke Dragot.

The races begin from the solarium in the Ein Bokek hotel areas in the southern part of the Dead Sea, with a free family happening that includes ecological activities related to the Dead Sea, arts and crafts corners, refreshments, music and more.

The annual Veolia Desert Challenge will take place on Saturday 5 December 2009, with several challenging events.
· a night race through the desert scenery lit by the full moon on the night between 4 and 5 December(choose between a 12,20 or 30 kilometer course)
· a mountain bike race (27,40 or 75 kilometer course)
· The Ultimate Challenge; the longest and most challenging duathlon in Israel (running and cycling)
· Challenge Cycle Race – a non-competitive 24 kilometer course through Nahal Pratzim and Sodom
· A sporting festival for all the family from 09:30 at the Ein Bokek solarium with free activities, exhibitions etc. Free entrance

Registration for the above is available online at http://www.ezharim.co.il/ (Hebrew only) or on the day of the race itself.

The Dead Sea is one of 28 finalists (selected from over 400 candidates) for the online competition, New 7 Wonders of Nature. The lowest place on earth will compete through 2011 for the hearts and votes of over a billion people from around the world, against 27 other sites including, among others, the River Amazon, the Galapagos Islands, the Grand Canyon and the Maldives. Vote for the Dead Sea as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature at http://www.new7wonders.com/

MUSICAL WINTER CONCERTS IN ABU GHOSH,SATURDAYS AT NOON FROM NOVEMBER – MARCH

November 16, 2009

MUSICAL WINTER CONCERTS IN ABU GHOSH,
SATURDAYS AT NOON FROM NOVEMBER – MARCH

The enchanting hillside village of Abu Ghosh, a short ride from Jerusalem, is known for its Vocal Music Festival held every Succot. The perfect acoustics in the village churches will once again come to the fore with the annual Musical Winter concert series.

This series presents seven concerts featuring works by, among others, Bach, Purcell and Schubert, as well as a homage to 1960s protest singers Pete Seeger and Joan Baez. such as the series of Bach Cantatas performed by the Israeli Bach Soloists. The concerts all take place at noon on a Saturday at the Kiryat Ye'arim Church overlooking the picturesque village.

The opening concert of the series, which takes place at noon on Saturday, 28.11.09, is a homage to the 1960s protest singers Pete Seeger and Joan Baez. Other concerts are as follows:
19.12.09: Handel's Messiah
26.12.09: Good Tidings – a special Christmas concert featuring works by Purcell and Bach
2.1.10: Schubert, Mendelssohn, Rossini and Christmas Songs with Bells
30.1.10: Fountain of Joy" - featuring cantatas by J.S. Bach and the Motet "Jesu meine Freude"
27.2.10: Schubert: Mass in G major and Saint-Saens: Christmas Oratorio
20.3.10: The Crying Mother - an Easter program featuring Bach's Cantata 166 and Stabat Mater by Pergolesi

Advance ticket purchase: 972 3-6045000 or 972 2 -6237000/6222333

The village of Abu Ghosh has important Christian connections. Beginning in the twelfth century, Christians began to identify Abu Ghosh as Emmaus, where Jesus appeared after the Resurrection (Luke 24:12-31). They imagined an old caravansary they found by the village spring as the destination of the disciples as they walked along the road “about seven miles from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:13). The village’s impressive Crusader church, in a tranquil garden setting, is built over that spring. Its walls are adorned with paintings of New Testament figures – some of the oldest medieval frescos in the world. Abu Ghosh has also been identified as Kiriath Jearim, where the Ark of the Covenant was brought after Philistine captivity (1 Sam. 6:21); a church on the hill with a panoramic view marks that spot.

350 RARE PIECES OF MARBLE FROM THE CRUSADER PERIOD (13TH CENTURY) UNCOVERED IN ACRE

3 November 2009

350 RARE PIECES OF MARBLE FROM THE CRUSADER PERIOD (13TH CENTURY) UNCOVERED IN ACRE


In an excavation recently conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) 100 meters north of the Old City wall of Acre, a unique find was discovered from the Crusader period (the thirteenth century CE) – a hoard of 350 marble items that had been collected from destroyed buildings.

According to Dr. Edna Stern, excavation director on behalf of the IAA, “We have here a unique find, the likes of which have never been discovered in the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the Crusader period (the capital of which was Acre). During the archaeological excavations, we came upon a cellar that was sealed by collapse comprised of building stones and charred beams. Beneath the cellar floor a hoard of about 350 marble items and colored stones was discovered, including two broken marble tombstones with Latin inscriptions, flat marble slabs and marble tiles of various sizes and colors, as well as a large stone cross and a large fragment of porphyry (a rare precious purple stone, which has been the color of royalty from Roman times). The quality of the marble is excellent and it was undoubtedly imported from abroad.”

Dr. Stern added, “Everyone knows that Crusader Acre was an important center for international trade and the marble hoard reflects the magnificent buildings that were erected here but have not survived, as well as also the commerce and the wealth of its residents. Just as there is a trend today to incorporate wooden doors from India or roof tiles from old buildings in Italy in modern villas, at that time they used to integrate ancient architectural items from the Roman and Byzantine periods in their construction. And just like today, people at that time also yearned for the classic and the exotic. We know from written sources that they bought and sold such stones, which were exceptionally valuable, to be reused in buildings. We can assume that the owner of the hoard, whether he was a merchant or he collected the stones for his own construction, was aware of impending danger and therefore buried the valuable stones until such time as the tension abated.”

According to Stern, it can be reasonably assumed that the collapse that was found above the hoard is evidence of the building’s destruction in 1291 CE, when Crusader Acre was conquered and devastated by the Mamluks. The marble hoard was removed from the field and transferred to the Israel Antiquities Authority for further study.
Visitors to Acre, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001, can visit the excavated underground buildings from the Crusader and Ottoman periods, including the Al Jazar Mosque, the buildings of the Order of Saint John, Khan Al Omdan, the Turkish Baths, the Bahai Temple and much more, as well as enjoy the cultural meeting point of East and West in the old city’s market and alleyways.

Imax 3D in Eilat

Shalom to all,

Imax 3D in Eilat translated the movie “Hunted Castle” to English.

You can watch the movie every day at 22:00 (except Fridays).

JAZZ GLOBUS 2009 The 6th International Jazz Festival in Jerusalem,

November 4, 2009


JAZZ GLOBUS 2009
The 6th International Jazz Festival in Jerusalem,
25 November – 2 December


The sixth Jazz Globus Festival 2009 will take place from November 25 through December 2 in Jerusalem, with more than 120 musicians and 22 ensembles from Israel and overseas participating in the festival's seven concerts. Concerts will take place at the Harmony Hall in the Jerusalem Cultural Center, located in the center of the city, near the pedestrian area of Nahalat Shiva Street.

International jazz musicians playing at the festival alongside Israeli musicians include the legendary Russian jazz guitarist Alexei Kuznetsov; a duet from the Czech Republic named DoMa; Russian jazz German trumpeter Igor Shirokov; the renowned Russian jazz ensemble Round Band led by saxophonist Alexei Kruglov and celebrated Italian pianist Tony Pancello who will appear for the first time in the Jazz Globus festival.

Many of the Israeli musicians participating in the festival are well-known on the international jazz scene, including Michal Cohen, Robert Anchipolovsky, Yuval Tabachnik, Ivri Boruchov and Dmitry Grodsky.

Further information on the program: http://www.jazzglobus.com/.
Tickets available before the concerts at the venue, price 60 NIS.

THE JERUSALEM INTERNATIONAL OUD FESTIVAL

18 October 2009

THE JERUSALEM INTERNATIONAL OUD FESTIVAL
CELEBRATES A DECADE
12-26 NOVEMBER 2009

The Jerusalem International Oud Festival, organized by the city’s Confederation House under the artistic direction of Effie Benaya, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, with performances taking place in Jerusalem from 12-26 November and in Nazareth from 24-27 November. The festival draws artists and composers from all musical genres from Israel and overseas, making the distinct Mediterranean sounds of the oud accessible to a wide audience. Stars of Israeli, Jewish and Arab ethnic music appear alongside guest musicians from India, France and Mediterranean countries presenting a variety of musical heritages: religious and secular, Armenian and Byzantine, Gypsy and Babylonian, ancient and modern.
The festival continues the tradition of musical tributes to the poets of the Golden Age of Spain and the great artists of the Arab world, as well as presenting, for the first time, a unique aspect of Syrian musical tradition, alongside Greek, Turkish and other musical styles. Musical instruments featured in the concerts include the oud, zurna, duduk, trumpet, bass, violins, viola, cello, jumbush, clarinet, recorder, dahul, nai and energetic percussion.

The festival opens with a world premier entitled Who Knows One performed by the band Tractor’s Revenge in a tribute to the Spanish poet and Rabbi Yehuda Moshe Ibn Ezra, regarded as one of the literary giants of the Golden Age in Spain. Other concerts include Sounds from Syria, a tribute to Sabah Fakhri, performed by the Tarshiha Orchestra for Arabic Music; This Was What He Originally Intended..., unknown Piyyutim of Hebrew poet Rabbi Israel Najara; Debka Fantasy, an Israeli musical fantasy of the early days of Jewish settlement blending Eastern and Western music; Ad Adei Ad, a work composed specially for the festival based upon texts from Sefer ha-Yetzira, one of the foundations of Kabbalistic thought; a unique Encounter between Three Oud Players, Taiseer Elias, Ara Dinkjian and Yurdal Tokcan; and Iraq'n'Roll, which brings together two Israeli artists Yair Dalal and Dudu Tasa. There will be a concert by an Indian vocalist, Sudha Ragunathan, and another in tribute to three great Arab vocalists

The concert venues include the Confederation House, the Jerusalem Theater, the Gerard Behar Center, Beit Avihai and the Shimson Center-Beit Shmuel in Jerusalem and four concerts in Nazareth.

Information in English about the concerts and ticket sales: http://www.confederationhouse.org/