Editor’s note: Due to the ongoing security situation, events listed below may be postponed or canceled. Check before booking, and stay safe.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7
Browse the shelves of Sefer Ve Sefel (The Book and Mug), one of Jerusalem’s best-known second-hand English-language bookstores. Opened in 1981 as a bookstore-coffee shop, hence the “mug” in its name, it quickly acquired a sterling reputation.
Coffee is no longer served, but the store has a wide selection of some 26,000 volumes to satisfy book lovers of all ages. Enjoy chatting with owners Michael and Zia Rose while you look for a good book to enjoy over the weekend.
2 Yavetz Street, off Jaffa Road, behind the light rail stop. Friday, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Sunday-Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Tel: (02) 624-8237; www.sefervesefel.com.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8
Come to the cabaret at the Besarbia bar experimental evening with Moscow-born music sound artist Fika Magrik, Israel Pniel from the Mystorin Theater, and classically trained singer Maya Sapiro-Taien, among others featured in the unusual line-up.
Drinks and socializing begin at 8:30 p.m.; performances start at 9:30 p.m. 34 Ben-Yehuda Street. Free.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9
Mark Tu Bishvat with a special guided tour of the ecological elements included in the design of the National Library of Israel. The Hebrew-language walk will reveal the “rock store” – 270,000 stones arranged at the building’s parking level, which offer an innovative energy-saving way to cool the structure. Visitors will also be invited to visit the gardens, which offer a library, so to speak, of the plants with which the Land of Israel is blessed.
4 p.m. 90 minutes. 1 Kaplan St. Visit www.nli.org.il/en to learn more and to book.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10
Meet fortune teller Orna (artist Oren Fischer) at Shaon Hahoref, a diverse program of alternative music, performances, and subcultures in the capital. Orna will pitch her tent at Keshet Ben-Sira (Ben-Sira and Hillel streets) at 8 p.m.
Gal De Paz will perform songs from her album Very That in a solo piano performance at the French Institute (8 p.m. 35 Hillel Street). DJ Rotem Dahan will play some groovy beats at the Inner Power Station (10 p.m., 1 Menashe Ben-Yisrael Street, inside the court of the Experimental School).
Free. Visit shaon-horef.co.il to learn more.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11
Mark the recent passing of actor Ze’ev Revach by watching the 1992 film A Bit of Luck at Cinema by Sam Spiegel. Revach assumes the role of a Jewish Moroccan singer who faces the hardships of Israeli life until his daughter (Zehava Ben) replaces him as the star of the family.
Based on the real musical legacy of North African Jews, who included Eliaou Élie Boniche (Lili Boniche), Albert Rouimi (Blond-Blond), and Sultana Daoud (Reinette L’Oranaise), this film is a must-see for anyone who wants to understand the historical experience of Jews from Arab countries who made aliyah during the early decades of the State of Israel.
8 p.m. In Hebrew, French, and Arabic, with Hebrew subtitles. NIS 35. 3 Menora Street. Visit cinema.jsfs.co.il for more information.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12
Attend a concert at the Jerusalem Theatre as conductor Philippe Jordan leads the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in a performance of Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 (The Unfinished) and Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 3 (Wagner Symphony, the 1889 version).
Bruckner was so delighted with conductor Hans Richter’s interpretation of his Fourth Symphony (Romantic), that he gave Richter a coin “to buy a pint of beer.” Richter kept the coin and wore it as a medallion until his last day. The son of conductor Armin Jordan, Jordan the younger offers a sensitive, deep understanding of Bruckner and Schubert.
Parents of young children might be interested in “Beethoven and Elise in Jerusalem,” part of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra for Kids series at 5:30 p.m. This performance introduces children between the ages of five and eight to the music of Beethoven via a tale about his friendship with a young girl, a relationship that would lead to his composing Für Elise.
IPO concert at 8 p.m. Two hours with one intermission. NIS 270 to NIS 485. The family-oriented performance at 5:30 p.m. is NIS 85 per ticket and is one hour, with no intermission. Jerusalem Theatre, 20 Marcus Street. To book, call *3766 or visit www.ipo.co.il/en.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13
Enjoy some delicious Indian food at the Jeera (“cumin”) pop-up restaurant at 69 Agrippas Street. Operated by Tom Schwartz, the options are samosa and sauce (NIS 15); thali with rice (NIS 30); and a cup of chai tea (NIS 5).
If you enjoy the food, visit the Jeera restaurant (7 Heleni Hamalka Street) and enjoy the thali special for two for NIS 120. Or consider taking home the blend of spices used and whip up a chai worthy of the British Raj in the comfort of your own home. For more information, text Tom at 053-556-1457.
LOOKING AHEAD
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14
Listen to the rich musical legacy of British Jewry as performed by the Jerusalem Kol Rina Choir under the baton of conductor Jonathan Greenstein. The program includes works by Julius Mombach, Haim Wasserzug, Charles Kensington Salaman, and many more, and features cantor Ofer Shapira.
Due to the unique liberal climate of Britain, mixed-gender choirs were totally accepted in the Orthodox Jewish world there, in sharp contrast to Orthodox services across the English Channel. This musical tradition survived in the UK in one place only, Liverpool’s Princes Road Synagogue, thanks to its Old Hebrew Congregation Choir.
The performance is at 5:15 p.m., at Shira Hadasha (Beit Yehudit Ginot Hair Community Center), 12 Emek Refaim Street. Free.
Throwing a special event? Opening an art exhibition or a new bar? Bringing in a guest speaker to introduce a fascinating topic? Email hagay_hacohen@yahoo.com and let In Jerusalem know about it. Write “Jerusalem Highlights” in the subject line. Although all information is welcome, we cannot guarantee it will be featured in the column.
