It's been a good week for Jerusalem. Sure, it's cold, but Hamshushalaim is in full swing, and in its wake have come 120,000 visitors, 90% occupancy in city hotels, and a 30% increase in weekly takings of restaurants and coffeeshops. The festivities continue this weekend, and as always, there's plenty of other stuff to do as well:
First of all, don't miss your opportunity for more Hamshushalaimery with special discounts and tours throughout the weekend.
Suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune with a modernist English-language performance of Hamlet tonight at the Jerusalem Theatre. 'Tis noble.
And in case Hamlet is too much of a downer, you can try your luck at an English performance of the theatrical adaptation of the Diary of Anne Frank at Beit Shmuel, also tonight.
Start the weekend off in style by listening to the Israeli Philharmonic saw through the classics on Friday morning.
Rocker Asaf Avidan and his boys the Mojos are stomping back into town to light the Yellow Submarine on fire Friday night.
Speaking of stomping back into town, dinosaur rocker Rami Fortis, pictured above, is doing just that on Saturday night, also at the Yellow Sub.
Or if you prefer your pop stars younger, try out David D'Or on Saturday night at the Ma'abada.
The Cinematheque's Jewish Film Festival kicks off Sunday for five whole days of celluloid neuroses. Don't miss it.
Lock up your daughters: these puppets mean business.
It's winter, and there's a faint whiff of approaching holidays in the air, even here in Jerusalem...or maybe that's just the delicious, delicious smell of sufganiyot (Hanukkah donuts) in the morning. And it's also festival time. Hamshushalaim madness kicks into full swing this evening, and it's your best (and by that we mean cheapest) chance all year to take in dozens of Jerusalem museums, restaurants and cultural venues. So get to it:
First off, don't forget to check out our full Hamshushalaim listings (so far) to find out what you can expect in terms of discounts and special events this weekend.
Tonight features the final performance of the International Oud Festival, specially marked down for Hamshushalaim.
March along with hometown brass band Marsh Dondurma from Mamilla to the Jaffa Gate - just like in New Orleans, except nobody had to die first.
Nurit Galron is a great name. And also a decent '70s Israeli rocker. Check her Saturday night at Beit Avi Chai.
Beloved children's production Journey Behind the Scenes, which teaches kids about the magic (and the nuts and bolts) of stage productions, is back at the Jerusalem Theatre on Sunday.
Also at the Theatre Sunday is the Andalusian Orchestra, a collective of Jerusalem's finest Arab musicians.
You probably can't learn to be funny if you're not, but that won't stop Off the Wall Comedy maven David Kilimnick from trying to teach you on Monday.
Lucky you, you get another chance to see a thoughtful theatrical presentation of the prickly relationship between a white supremacist and his Jewish attorney on Monday whenSkinhead returns to the Lab.
Dig Chick Corea? Then should enjoy Tal Babitsky, performing free Tuesday evening at the Yellow Sub.
The stage version of the Diary of Anne Frank is coming to Beit Shmuel on Wednesday - and it's in English too.
Learn the secrets of the King David and other classics of Jerusalem British architecture
It may be time to bust out the cornucopias and raise a drumstick to Squanto (or...whatever) in America, but in Jerusalem, it's just another week. But don't let that stop you from making the most of it by hitting the town for an only-in-Jerusalem good time:
Gain insight into an inscrutable sector of Israeli society by viewing a documentary on Charedim (ultra-Orthodox Jews) at trendy gallery Barbur tonight.
Everybody loves an indie German techno DJ - especially those groovy Jerusalem secular twentysomethings. Catch Glitterbug at new club BASS tomorrow evening.
It's Mozart time at the Targ on Saturday morning. If you like classical, don't miss out.
It's a blast from the past Saturday night when '70s Israeli rock power trio Tzlil Mekhuvan lights up the Yellow Submarine.
Nikolai Gogol's Marriage is running once again at the Khan; catch it Sunday evening.
Hey: even more classical music (geeks, it's your week). Dig the sounds of Ligeti on Monday at the Hebrew University's classical music appreciation classes.
Lady rocker Yehudit Ravitz is returning to the Jerusalem Theatre on Monday evening to celebrate her latest album reaching gold status in sales.
Free jazz at the Yellow Sub on Tuesday night. Not free jazz as in Ornette, free jazz as in o-nay ough-day, dad.
Wrap yourself in the warm embrace of the Anglo community and the Jewish people's beloved humor-about-nothing with a Wednesday night Seinfeld marathon at the Merkaz.
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:
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.
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 multipleperformances 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 WeddingSunday evening at the Nissan Nativ Studio in Talpiot.
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.
Unlock the culinary secrets of Machane Yehuda this week in Jerusalem
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.
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.
And remember, you can always check the whole week's listings in our Events section. Have a good week in this new Jerusalem.
Unless the afterlife is absolutely not what it's cracked up to be, it does appear that the cosmic order survived this week's elections in America, contrary to all expectation. So Jerusalemites everywhere have cause to celebrate - at least until their own firmament-shattering elections, coming up in but a few days. But hey, the coming end of Uri Lupolianski's reign of inefficiency is also cause to celebrate. At Jerusalemite, we'll celebrate just about anything, the best way we know how:
Pop group Shotei HaNevuah may have broken up, but their frontman forges boldly ahead, while still sounding exactly the same. Catch Avraham Tal at the Yellow Submarine tonight.
Chanteuse Yael Badihi is hosting another musical party/luncheon Friday at her Nataf home, this time all about the poetry and life of the famous Rachel.
If you're curious about delving deeper into Jesus' final day than the Via Dolorosa, meet up with Beit Shmuel for a Jesus in Jerusalem tour ranging from the Kidron Valley to Mount Zion.
Want to inculcate your children with hyper-nationalist values using only puppets and poetry? Check out the Train Theater'spuppet show version of the poetry of Hayyim Nahman Bialik on Saturday.
Beatniks take over Saturday night with a night of "ecstatic avant-jazz poetry" at Yakar. Hey beardie, your lunch appears to be naked.
Want to be a pop star? Well, you're in the wrong place. But you can still shoot for fleeting local fame at the Mike's Placeopen mic night on Monday.
Tuesday is votin' day. After you choose Jerusalem's next mayor, quiet your lingering doubts with the sweet sounds of jazz at the Yellow Sub, finally back after a holiday hiatus.
On Wednesday, the battle will be over. Relive a far more stirring conflict with Henry V at the Ma'abada.
See you next week, if the city's still standing. Don't forget to vote, and don't forget to check out our full listing of this week's events...
The play is called The Miser, but it's actually not about Jews
If you believe the political rhetoric on either side of the divide back in America, no matter what happens and who gets elected, this week marks the end of humanity as we know it. So before John McCain or Barack Obama takes the prize and the planet Earth winks out of existence, try to have a little pre-apocalyptic fun in the Holy City, as only Jerusalemite can tell you how:
Friday is Halloween, but you'd never know. Celebrate the lack of candy-grubbing children by heading to Uganda to see one of the best-named bands in Israel: Haya Miller and the Compromises.
Or you can spend the day combing Musrara with everyone's favorite '70s-vintage Brown Power activists, the Israeli Black Panther Party.
Theoretically, the world should have ended by Wednesday, but if by some miracle the firmament still stands, do not miss your chance to see beloved Israeli actor/musician Yehoram Gaon perform at the Jerusalem Theatre.
Or, if you don't appreciate the old-school (what's wrong with you?), try young popper Shlomi Mandel on for size at the Yellow Sub.
Enjoy your last week on this mortal coil, y'all! If our roundup isn't enough, don't forget that you can always check out the events for the entire week in our Events section.
See Giselle. See Giselle haunt. Haunt, Giselle, haunt.
Hey there Jerusalemites. We've all successfully made it through another non-stop month of holidays, so get out there and take down your beautiful, elaborately decorated sukkah before your neighbors complain. Once that's out of the way, you deserve to ease yourself back into the grueling non-holiday schedule with a bit of local entertainment - and once again, we're here for you:
Israeli-cum-Austinite Ruth Dolores Weiss is on a homecoming tour in support of her latest album, and she'll be playing the Yellow Submarine tonight.
Get to know the green-eyed monster by taking in the Khan's oft-recurring production of Othello, also tonight.
Is there anything more hardcore than a no-holds-barred musical competition between up-and-coming classical violinists at the Targ Music Center? It's like a bebop cutting contest, only without the creativity. Take it all in on Friday.
If the kids are bugging you on Saturday, give them a subtle warning about potential consequences by taking them to see Peter and the Wolf at the Train Theater.
Monday night is open mic night at Off the Wall Comedy. You think you're funny, punk? Prove it.
Wine! Art! Fire dancers! Marsh Dondurma! Credit card olim! It all comes together Tuesday at the annual Emek Refaim Street Fair.
On Wednesday, Binyanei HaUma will host the Moscow City Ballet, currently touring Israel with its production of Giselle. Don't get too excited - it's not the Bolshoi Ballet, after all - but it's bolshoi enough for our little desert capital.
And as always, you can dig deeper into Jerusalem culture with this coming week's full complement of events. Have a good week!
Last chance for non-hummus-related fun in Abu Ghosh
Okay, yeah, we've been throwing a lot of events at you lately. We can't help it - Jerusalem is just exploding with stuff to do. Be grateful. But to avoid beating a dead horse, this week's events roundup will focus only on post-Sukkot events. If you're looking for something to do during the remaining days of Chol HaMoed, well, we wrote about it last week.
On Tuesday, when Sukkot is gone, the lulav is wilting and the etrog is actually turning yellow, you can get over your post-holiday blues by dancing your go-go boots off at the Jewish Music Marathon at Beit Avi Chai. You'll have even more fun when you remember that all those Diasporaniks still can't flick a light switch.
Tuesday is also your last chance to catch the choral hijinks at the Abu Ghosh Music Festival - at least until Shavuot.
And if you have small children, you can entertain them Tuesday with the last of the Train Theater's daily Sukkot shows, Dan and Sheleg Move.
On Wednesday, the perennial favorite Move My Heart is back once again at the Jerusalem Theatre. Don't miss your twentieth (or so) chance to see it.
Everybody loves plays about the sensitive relationship that blossoms between a race-murder-accused skinhead and his Jewish lawyer. So why not see Skinhead at the Ma'abada on Wednesday?
Rea Mochiach and Yali Sobol. Between them, they've got a well-regarded novel and well-regarded collaborations with the likes of David Byrne and Gogol Bordello. So hustle over to the Yellow Submarine to catch their act.
We'll be back on our normal events schedule next week. Until then, make the most of your remaining holiday days, and try not to dwell on the fact that we won't have another proper holiday until 2009's traditional Purim riots (Chanukah doesn't really count).
Image courtesy of Whistling in the Darkfrom Flickr under a Creative Commons license.
You can buy an etrog this week, but people might get mad if you cut it in half
Hey, we'll be the first to admit it: this time of the year is not the best time to be out and about in the city. Sure, the weather's great, but with all these Days of Awe getting in the way, cultural life has slowed way down from its summer festival peak. The Chol HaMoed Sukkot rush is on the horizon, of course, but until then, you'll have to content yourself with a more pared down week in the Holy City:
Wednesday and Thursday are taken up by the preparation for and observance of Yom Kippur. Nothing opens up until Thursday night, and while cultural venues are closed, you can break your fast at one of many restaurants that open up in the city center.
Once Yom Kippur checks out, you can get into the Sukkot spirit on Friday by attending the surprisingly boisterous sale of the Four Species vital to the holiday, taking place next to the Machane Yehuda market.
After all that fasting, you deserve to satiate yourself with laughter. Check out Off the Wall Comedy's anniversary comedy blowout on Saturday night.
And, of course, there's always theater: for a taste of suitably black Israeli comedy, don't miss Oh, God at the Jerusalem Theatre.
Brigham Young as always provides something classical on a Sunday, and this time it's a full-on piano quintet.
And then it's Sukkot! The intervening days of the holiday, Chol HaMoed, are bursting to the seams with special events and performances, and we'll be offering in-depth coverage in the coming days.
Image courtesy of rbarenblat from Flickr under a Creative Commons License.