Editor’s note: Due to the ongoing security situation, events listed below may be postponed or canceled. Check before booking, and stay safe.
FRIDAY, MAY 16
The Drop Bar (Hatipa) comes back to life for one day only from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The lively music marks a decade of pizza-making at Pizzeria Flora (same hours and location), now offering special pizzas made by the owner Ben Lilmanstones (the pizza place was named after his grandmother Flora).Hatipa (2 Hadekel Street) was owned by Liram Amir, a good friend of Lilmanstones, and the two worked side by side when the bar was in full swing.
SATURDAY, MAY 17
Visit St. Andrew’s Scots Memorial Church (1 David Remez Street) to enjoy A Liturgical Weekend with the Gary Bertini Choir, under the baton of Ronen Borshevsky.
The rich program includes music by Victoria, Schütz, Avni, Bruckner, Elgar, Hebrew songs, and spirituals.1:30 p.m. NIS 90. Call 051-556-4288 to book.
SUNDAY, MAY 18
Watch the play A Bachelorettes’ Apartment (Dirat Ravakot). Written by Moriya Hasin, the comedy revolves around three religious women who share a Jerusalem apartment.
Based loosely on the lives of the three main actresses in the performance (Tegal Zoria, Liron Hernik, and Rani Lober), the lives of the characters on stage are upturned when one of their mothers (Tzeela Michaeli) walks in with an intention to “fix” her daughter’s life so she may meet her future husband – and soon.
8:30 p.m. NIS 60. In Hebrew. One hour. Aspaklaria Theater, 1 Jabotinsky Street (in Liberty Bell Park). Call (02) 651-1936 to book.
MONDAY, MAY 19
Visit the Jerusalem Cinematheque to watch Pelikan Blue, an award-winning Hungarian animation film depicting the 1990s in the former socialist state. The 2023 film is part documentary and partly a farewell to childhood. Director László Csáki is currently one of the most noticed animators in this unique field.
9:15 p.m. Hungarian with English and Hebrew subtitles. 11 Derech Hebron. NIS 43. Call (02) 565-4333 to book.
TUESDAY, MAY 20
Watch the film Yakantalisa – Portrait of a Dead Poet, directed by Yair Lev, at Cinema by Sam Spiegel. It is part of a special evening focused on the work of poet Hezy Leskly. An early victim of AIDS, he died in 1994.
In addition to his poetry, Leskly was an art critic who wrote at length about dance.
The film takes its name from a poem he wrote. “Bent is the smell of Yakantalisa/ as bent as its stalk and its bent/ philosophy./ Bent are those who speak fondly of/ Yakantalisa’s scent.”
Lev will discuss the film with Oded Carmeli, who recently published There Is No Such Dance, a collection of poems, dance reviews, and articles by Leskly that were unknown prior to this release.
8:30 p.m., 3 Menora Street. NIS 35. Hebrew event. Visit cinema.jsfs.co.il for more information.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 21
Enjoy an evening of Beethoven at the Clal Building (97 Jaffa Road) with the Jerusalem Street Orchestra. Forty musicians, led by conductor Ido Shpitalnik, will perform the overture to Egmont, Op. 84; Variations on a Rococo Theme by Tchaikovsky; and conclude with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7.
8:30 p.m. NIS 30 to NIS 250, reflecting the JSO’s policy of ensuring everyone has a way to enjoy the music and purchase a ticket. It is also possible to offer a larger sum per ticket to support its work.
For more, visit www.eventer.co.il/1fcmf (Hebrew site) or call (03) 750-6393 (Eventer).
THURSDAY, MAY 22
Visit the Jerusalem Woodstock Festival at Kfar Shaul (Har Nof neighborhood) and enjoy some of the best music of the 1960s with bands like The Spare Parts, The Lynyrd Skynyrd Experience, and Daniella Goldfine. Chairs will be available, or just sit on the grass.
6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. NIS 45 per ticket at pre-sale; NIS 50 at the door; NIS 20 for teens. Free for soldiers upon presentation of a military-issued ID. Call 054-810-8918 for more information.
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.
