This year’s edition of the venerable Israel Festival, to be held July 1-24, is heading to the far reaches of the country to emphasize its theme: A dream of recovery amid the reality of war.
Events, presentations, and shows for the 64th festival will take place in Jerusalem, as well as in the Upper Galilee, the northern Golan Heights, and the Western Negev, with venues in Kiryat Shmona, Tel Hai, Kfar Blum, Majdal Shams, Ofakim, Kibbutz Urim, and Kibbutz Tze’elim.
“Against the backdrop of the physical and social rehabilitation challenges of Israeli society, political polarization, and international isolation, we operate out of a deep belief in artistic creation as a unique tool for strengthening the fabric of shared life in Israel. We hope that the works will bring light, tenderness, and compassion to the extremely difficult reality in which we are all placed,” said festival CEO, Eyal Sher, who is working together with artistic directors Itay Mautner and Michal Vaknin.
Mautner and Vaknin added, “This year’s festival stems from what is happening around us and within us. Its contents offer another perspective on our circumstances. At times, it takes a documentary perspective, and at other times, it is poetic and full of spirit – a point of view that allows us to open our eyes and look directly at our situation. Don’t look away. Don’t close your eyes.”
The festival’s two opening performances will take place in a specially built open-air amphitheater in the Jerusalem Theater Plaza. Music People, on July 1, will bring young artists from the North to Jerusalem to perform with established artists such as Leah Shabat, Amir Lev, Jane Bordeaux, and Daniella Spector. A repeat performance will take place on July 17 at the Tel Hai Academic College.
On July 2, From Ashes to Gold will see award-winning Israeli international trumpeter Avishai Cohen and his quartet collaborating with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra on pieces from Cohen’s album of the same name, written in the wake of the October 7, 2023, mega-atrocity by Hamas.
More festival highlights to catch
Other festival highlights include:
• Speeches Against Despair – A new concept by Guri Alfi and Eli Haviv that gives new interpretations to historical speeches. Featuring Noa Koller, Noga Erez, Norman Issa, Maya Landsman, Michael Ensemble, and Galit Hoogi
• Al-Malab (The Pitch) – A new work by Raed Shams and Yonatan Blumenfeld, about childhood and memory, on the damaged soccer field of Majdal Shams.
• Coming Home – A performative Talmud lesson by Chaya Gilboa with Maya Belsitzman, Orit Tshuma, Daniel Engel, and Liat Atzili.
• Brothers – An album launch performance by Tuval Haim, a talented musician and the brother of Yotam Haim, who was kidnapped on October 7 and later killed accidentally by IDF forces. Special guests will be Tomer Yosef and ECHO.
• Spurs – A special tribute production by the Israel Festival on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Mifal Hapayis national lottery Sapir Prize for Literature. This “literary takeover” of various spaces at Hansen House will be a rare encounter between writers, stories, and different mediums. With the participation of Sapir Prize winners Etgar Keret, Noa Yadlin, Shimon Adaf, Yair Assulin, Esther Peled; and artists Arkadi Duchin, Renana Raz, Daniel Koren, and many others.
For more information and to purchase tickets: israel-festival.org/
The festival performances in Jerusalem will be held July 1-9.
The festival performances in the Upper Galilee and Northern Golan will be held July 14-17.
The festival performances in the Western Negev will be held July 22-24.