Maybe they add up to one Coltrane

November is a good time to be a Jerusalemite. While much of the rest of the world twists futilely in the grip of inexorable winter, we're enjoying sunny, room-temperature days and nights just the perfect temperature for a having a warm drink at the café while wearing your favorite sweater. In another month, of course, it's going to be a different, much wetter story, so get out there now to enjoy the best of this week in Jerusalem:

• Tonight is the debut of the much-beloved annual Oud Festival. Catch Etti Ankri at the Jerusalem Theatre.

• Are you old enough to fondly remember blue-and-white tin JNF pushkes and first hearing the strange sounds of non-Ashkenazi Hebrew? Man, has the Jerusalem Theatre got a nostalgic sing-along for you.

• Friday is, as it always should be, all about the ladies. First, check out the opening of an exhibition devoted to up-and-coming distaff Israel painters at Barbur.

• Then, after the sun sets, head over to hip new club Bass for an evening of Jerusalem's finest lady DJs.

• Eat your hearts out, Cannonball and Coltrane: a whole jazz saxophone quartet (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone) is playing on Saturday outside the city at Latrun.

• Jerusalemites are essentially split into two camps: people who enjoy the oeuvre of Shlomo Carlebach, and people who hate those people with a white-hot passion. If you fall into the former group, there are multiple performances on Saturday night in honor of the controversial singer/rabbi's recent yahrtzeit.

• Federico Lorca may be dead and gone, but you can still enjoy his provocatively titled play Blood Wedding Sunday evening at the Nissan Nativ Studio in Talpiot.

• Friend of Jerusalemite Matt Rees, noted journalist-cum-mystery novelist, is speaking (in English) at Tmol Shilshom Sunday evening on the subject of his novels.

• Jerusalem rock outfit Malachei is covering Jimi Hendrix Monday night at Stardust, always a dicey proposition. If things go well, though, this is a rare chance to see some guitar heroics in the Holy City.

• Who wants to see an avant-garde production based on the Odyssey Monday evening at the Ma'abada? You. That's who.

• Now's the time for About Time, pianist Ari Erev's jazz trio. They're playing for free Tuesday evening at the Yellow Submarine.

• Black theater meets a timely rip-off of Finding Nemo Wednesday at the Jerusalem Theatre with Caspion, a kid's play about a little fish that could.

• As if handicrafts weren't folksy enough, Reshimu is combining them with granola Judaism and girl power with their weekly Wedneday workshops.

And there's more. There's always more. Check out the listings for the whole week, and please have some fun out there.

Image courtesy of Otzar Tarbut.

It's the first week of a new Jerusalem. Or at least a different Jerusalem. Well, provided outgoing mayor Lupolianski doesn't cap off his useless term by seizing total control of the city and devoting 100% of the municipal budget to his twin initiatives of delaying the light rail and making his beard wispier. Hey, you can't rule anything out. But assuming the transfer of power goes well, this is a good week to make a toast to the fading reign of Mr. Lupolianski, and as always, Jerusalemite has plenty ideas of how to go about it:

• Jerusalem has some of the world's greatest food. Learn about (and sample) the many foods Jerusalemites love, including the offalicious meorav yerushalmi, as you follow Beit Shmuel through Machane Yehuda today.

• And tonight is your chanceto catch some rare English-language Jerusalem theater with After Eden at the Merkaz.

• Is there any better place to see a 18-piece choral ensemble specializing in Jewish and Israeli music than at the the Tower of David? Dunno. Ask the Jerusalem Cameri Choir tomorrow.

• Jerusalem is an orthodox city no matter what religion you follow, but if you happen to be a Conservative Jew, don't feel alone and uneducated: English-language Conservative Torah study starts up tomorrow.

• This Saturday tour is not optional, even if you observe Shabbat, keep kosher or don't speak Hebrew. Beit Shmuel is taking a group of gourmands to the hummus restaurants of east Jerusalem and the Old City, and all that wonderful, historic hummus is worth the eternal punishment for any transgression.

• Everybody in Israel loves rock ensemble Beit Habubot (except those guys who think music is a sin). Hop on the bandwagon Saturday night at the Yellow Submarine.

• As if Jews and Arabs don't got enough beef, in The Return to Haifa, a Jewish family and an Arab family tussle over an adopted child in the post-War of Independence era. Catch it Sunday at the Jerusalem Theatre.

• Sunday is also your last chance to catch Shakespeare's Henry V in English at the Ma'abada.

• You think you're funny, punk? Prove it at Off the Wall's English-language comedy open mic night on Monday.

• Dganit Ben-Admon is whitewashing everything in sight and calling it modern art. Two words, lady: "Tom Sawyer." Stop by the exhibit at the Jerusalem Artists' House on Monday.

• Don't you wish your children cared at all about music that didn't sound like the pitiful dying screech of the last of an endangered species? Try to introduce them to some classical music with Speak to Me in Sound at the Jerusalem Theatre on Tuesday.

• How can Jerusalem sustain multiple Dixieland bands? Gain some insight, maybe, by seeing the New Orleans Function Tuesday at the Yellow Sub.

• How's your Jewish identity lately? If you don't know the answer, consider attending the first in a series of English lectures on the subject at the Shalom Hartman Institute on Wednesday.

O Jerusalem, fair city of gold,
That by th' east-borne sun is granted luster,
Thy streets a dusty wonder to behold,
Where men and zephyrs both alike do bluster,
A surfeit of chickpeas thou mayst call thine,
And red kubbeh soup that brims with Swiss chard,
Yet thou givest cause to thy glory malign
In failing to grant due props to the Bard.
Like vanquished foes thou constrainest his verse
Within rough-hewn shackles (thy desert tongue);
To render Hamlet in Hebrew, zounds, perverse!
'Tis better to leave tuneless songs unsung.
  But if desire thy heart true English rhyme,
  Don't worry, we've got Shakespeare Yerushalayim.

Er...no, really, as English speakers, we're all lucky to be able to appreciate Shakespeare in his original tongue, and fortunately, Jerusalem is now home to a Shakespeare-themed English-language theater group, Shakespeare Jerusalem. Founded and organized by Anglo immigrants with extensive theatrical experience both in Israel and abroad, the group aims to strengthen Jerusalem culture by exposing Israelis to the beauty of Shakespeare's plays in their original language, employing both native- and foreign-born actors. 

Shakespeare Jerusalem's debut production, the swashbuckling Hundred Years' War drama Henry V, will be running at the Ma'abada throughout November (there will be six performances on four separate days). Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear, "Once more unto the breach!" shouted in an Israeli accent.

One day in the not-too-distant future, the anti-gravitational effects of a thousand constantly puffing cappuccino steamers and ten thousand constantly lightening wallets will lift Emek Refaim completely above the more pedestrian streets of Jerusalem, whereupon those lucky enough to be carried heavenward with the street of the gods will shower the less fortunate with great torrents of upscale kosher dairy bistro fare. But hopefully that won't happen before you can hit the annual Emek Refaim Street Fair on Tuesday.

What's the Emek Refaim Street Fair about? Well, uh, imagine Chutzot HaYotzer...good...and then imagine it smaller in scale and taking place on Emek Refaim. The Emek, as nobody should ever call it, will be lined with dozens of local artists displaying and selling their pieces, including paintings, pottery and glass works, with avant-garde assists by the Hagigit collective, who will be taking photographs of the merriment around them, futzing with them on computers and then displaying them on a giant screen. Meta.

Then there are, of course, the bands: homegrown Balkan-booty-stomping brass band Marsh Dondurma and that band they get for every festival in the city, Ethnika, as well as some lesser names. Oh yeah, and fire dancers.

And if all that art and photo-twiddling and Balkan brass and fire-twirling makes you want to get a burn on, stop at one of several wine stalls for a glass or four of the red (or white, or...pink) stuff. Sop that up by stopping in any one of the many, many, many restaurants lining the street, all of which are running festival-only discounts. It's the cheapest mountainous Mediterranean salad money can buy!

Festivities last from 17:00 until the decadent hour of 23:00, and entrance is blissfully free.

Photo courtesy of the Merkaz Tarbut HaAmim.

Ever wonder how the other half lives? Ever dream of living like a Sheikh for a day? Ever hope to travel back in time and relive a historical period? Ever wanted to know what lurked beneath Jerusalem's newest luxury building projects? Or wonder why Jerusalem's beautiful neighborhoods all look so different? Well, if you answered yes to any of these questions, then you're in luck because this weekend, Jerusalem's most amazing and impressive sites and styles are open for investigation as the Jerusalem Municipality's Houses from Within festival kicks off this weekend September 19th and 20th. 

This free - and largely popular - festival returns to the Holy City for its second year with free tours and access to more than 100 incredible structures and sites across the city. Led by certified tour guides, architects, city planners, historians, or Jerusalem lovers, learn about how the physical design of the building influences your experience of the place; or, in other words, how architecture works. While most tours are open to the public (just check the site for visiting hours), some tours are limited to 30 participants and therefore pre-registration is required (available through the website).

And the list of places to invade is long and varied, including a Sheik's residence, Israel Museum restoration labs, historical synagogues, the Mormon university, the old train depot, modern Jerusalem renovation projects, old Arab houses and Old City ruins. For us, the most alluring sites listed were those that piqued our voyeuristic tendencies: the private homes. For example, the Shalom House, 20 Ehad Haam Street, Talbia, belonged to Israel's leading lawyer during the British Mandate, Shalom Horrowitz. Visit his home to see the ceiling he imported from Damascus or the cedar trees he had shipped to his garden from Lebanon. Experience Israel's earliest upper class lifestyle for yourselves. Or, at the open house of Sigal and Chenchel Benga's Home, 2 Hanotrim Street, Katamon Het, see how Indian art Chenchel Benga was influenced by Indian village architecture and culture in his home-meets-gallery design. Finally, at the colorful Rotem House, featured above, 2 Hulda Hanevi'a Street, Musrara, interact with Turkish, Ottoman and modern design both inside and out. The family's renovation keeps the architecture of the past while its decor takes from today's contemporary styles.

Aside from the tours, there are several related events including art exhibitions that draw upon the themes of home/ privacy/ shelter/ and security. There's also a musical bells concert on Friday afternoon in the YMCA garden - apparently, the YMCA tower's bell collection is the only one of its kind in the Middle East (who knew?). And environmental-related events including a 'take and give' free market, recycling and building activities for the kids, and a lecture on sustainable building practices in Jerusalem since the British Mandate.

Please keep in mind that barging into anyone's home this weekend is clearly not encouraged - we (strongly) suggest you stick to peeking into the homes and places listed as part of Houses from Within only.

Less than three weeks until the High Holidays begin, and the city is all aflutter with the activity of hundreds of thousands of people preparing for the most enjoyable holiday since... uh... Purim? But just because everyone's busy doesn't mean there isn't plenty to do this week:

• This evening, treat the kids to something special, or at least a little strange: a stage production of The Jungle Book at the Jerusalem Theatre.

• And once the aforementioned kids are safely tucked in, have some more adult fun at the Yellow Submarine with Aya Korem - the pop singer behind the immortal line, "Yonatan Shapira, make me babies."

• A lot is going on religiously in Jerusalem lately - Ramadan for Muslims and Elul for Jews. Find out what makes the faiths tick by joining Beit Shmuel Friday on an English-language walking tour of religion in Jerusalem.

• Special-needs children know how to take a pretty compelling photograph - see for yourself Friday at the newly-opened Children's Photography Exhibit at the Naggar School in Musrara.

• Walk through the valley of the shadow of death (in a sense) with the Jerusalem Municipality on Shabbat as an expert guide takes a group on a free English-language tour of the Kidron Valley.

• Canaanites get the blues too - hear the proof at "Canaanite Blues," a Saturday night Beit Shmuel concert covering Levantine shepherd, cowboy and farmer folk songs. Just like Willie Nelson, only with more glottal stops.

• Thank God for those Mormons - without Brigham Young's concerts, Jerusalem would be totally dead on Sunday. This week, see the Gropius Ensemble play Bach, Debussy and some originals, all for free.

• Nobody does self-flagellation like the aesthetes of Israeli theater. The politically charged Holy Ground, a localization of an Algerian play, is running at the Khan. Catch it Sunday night.
  

• You know what are awesome? Lasers. Especially when they're projecting history onto the Tower of David. So don't miss the Tower of David Museum's educational laser light show Monday night.

• Even if you're from that country where they don't play football "soccer", now that you're in the wider world, there's no excuse for you not to put down a pint and let out your inner hooligan Monday night when HaTaklit broadcasts the Tottenham match.

• Speaking of theater aesthetes, if you fancy yourself one, don't miss out on the opportunity to audition Tuesday evening for the Merkaz's English-language staging of the one, the only Rent!

• And to atone for that audition, join the Tower of David Museum Tuesday on a nighttime tour of the Old City that ties the city's holy sites to the slichot, special prayers of penitence sung by Jews during the month of Elul.

• Like wine? Like art? Then join the good people at the Merkaz Wednesday for an up-close encounter with the artists of Chutzot HaYotzer, with lectures, discounted art prices and wine - all in English.

And do we have to say it again? There are always plenty more events for the coming week in the Jerusalemite Events section. Have a great weekend!

Image courtesy of ChrisYunker from Flickr under a Creative Commons license.

Welcome to September, kids. You can't wear white anymore, but you can make yourself feel better about the arbitrary sartorial cruelties of the approaching fall by reminding yourself that September is one of the best months to be in Jerusalem. The weather begins to ease off a little, and with both the Jewish High Holidays and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan taking place at the same time this year, the entire city takes on a buzz of impending celebration. So join in by taking in all Jerusalem has to offer this week:

• Get off your couch and lift your head out of the haze long enough to catch a local-star-studded tribute to the Grateful Dead tonight at the Yellow Submarine.

• Speaking of intoxication, if nostalgic hippies don't do it for you, try "Sensation of Intoxication," a concert/poetry reading/whatever tonight at Makom L'Shira.

• Silly high-fashion T-shirt concepts can take off in Israel too. If you don't believe us, check out Tel Aviv designer Liron Mar-Chaim's music-assisted fashion show at HaTaklit Friday afternoon.

• Or if you prefer a less fleeting and ironic sort of beauty as your Friday entertainment, join Beit Shmuel for a tour of the gardens of Jerusalem.

• Why do Israelis love Pink Floyd so? And also tribute concerts? Gain some insight Saturday night at HaMa'abada as Oblinse cover The Wall.

• If you prefer your music to be original, don't miss hip-hop outfit Coolooloosh at Beit Avi Chai, also on Saturday night.

• Enrich yourself with a little classical music at Brigham Young Sunday, where a trio of young up-and-comers will run through some Beethoven and Brahms.

• Jill-of-all-trades Hadara Levin-Areddy, a folksy singer (and director and poet), will sensitively rock HaTaklit on Sunday.

• Who wants to see a play about people who are too ugly to marry or love? You do! Head to the Jerusalem Theatre Monday evening for Hanoch Levin's Yakish and Poupche.

• Theatrical cynicism towards marriage is a hot commodity on Monday - you can also catch My Sweet Husband and My Dear Wife at the Khan.

• How often do you get to hear flamenco in Jerusalem? Swing by the back-from-summer-break Yellow Submarine Tuesday for Estampa Flamenca, Jerusalem's very own ambassadors of that romantic Spanish music.

• It's live reggae night at Stardust on Tuesday, as Malachei and Kimchi take to the stage inna Zion.

• Dig the microtonal sounds of classical Arabic music from Egypt to Iraq with "From Baghdad to Cairo"  Wednesday at Beit Shmuel.

• And happily, jazz is now back at the Yellow Sub - don't miss the combined performance of the Koresh Sextet and the Avri Borochov Trio.

It may not quite feel like it yet, but summer is winding down. And with festival season ending and the nonstop fall blowout of Jewish holidays still a month off, the late-summer doldrums have descended on the Holy City. But even during these languorous days, Jerusalem still offers plenty of ways to keep yourself entertained:

•  Tonight is your last chance to give a toast to Jerusalem at the Beer Festival. By Friday, all the beer vendors will be gone, and it'll be nothing but Goldstar and Tuborg 'til next summer.

• Even the Municipality is on the end-of-summer tip, and they've organized a free outdoor concert to commemorate it tonight in Independence Park. Sagol 59, HaYehudim and other big names will perform.

• Catch Peter Roth and Maor Cohen rockin' on the roof Friday afternoon during the Mishkenot Sha'ananim Music Festival.

• Even more outdoor music rumbles HaHistadrut Street all day Friday as crunchy pseudo-Rasta Mosh Ben Ari and others take it to the stage.

• Work out the tension Saturday night the best way science knows how: with public dancing in the park.

• Less physically taxing or potentially embarrassing Saturday night fun can be had at Arab/Jewish Middle Eastern folk outfit Sama'a's wine- and cheese-augmented performance at the Bible Lands Museum.

• English-language theater in Jerusalem is a rare beast indeed, so don't miss the debut of The Complete History of America: Abridged Sunday evening at the Merkaz.

• Introduce your kids to the magic of larger-than-life chimpanzee puppets on Sunday with Trained Animals, another winning Train Theater production.

• The Jerusalem Theatre is playing host to a month-long exhibit of [politically correct] artwork by immigrants to Israel, opening this Monday.

• Of all man's institutions, none is as ripe for parody as marriage. Nikolai Gogol knew it, and so does the Khan Theater, currently staging a Hebrew adaptation of his famous comedy Marriage. See it Monday night.

• Let the Israel Museum mess with your head a little Tuesday by checking out Secrets and Ties, an avant-garde exhibit slapped together from the museum's deep archives.

• Do Jews have soul? Find out at a Beit Avi Chai lecture on cantorial music on Wednesday.