Summer festival season has wound down, and the citywide High Holidays bashes are still a couple months off, but don't mistake this for the doldrums: even during the hottest days of a hot summer, Jerusalem and her many fine institutions continue to offer more culture than a Tel Avivi could shake an unearned sense of superiority at. Dig:

• Comedian Nadav Bosem and uni-monikered singer Rili are mounting a comedic/musical tribute to the popular Israeli entertainers of the '50s and '60s tonight at Beit Shmuel.

• Galilean oud master Haytham Safia and his band will take audiences to the sort of nightclub where classical Arab music and Western jazz get smashed on arak and make out, also tonight at the Confederation House.

• Escape Jerusalem (temporarily, of course) for the sylvan charms of Nataf and the French-inspired Hebrew chansons of singer/songwriter/storyteller Yael Badihi on Friday morning.

• Also on Friday morning, some of Jerusalem's finest poets will be gathering at the Confederation House for a Euterpean tribute to the late Israeli poet Yair Hurwitz on the 20th anniversary of his death.

• Join Beit Shmuel Saturday morning for a tour of the various outposts of foreign countries in and around Jerusalem's Old City - like traveling abroad for only 95 NIS.

• Once Shabbat makes its timely exit, don't miss the opportunity to see Israeli funkateers Hadag Nachash live within the intimate confines of the Yellow Submarine.

• Take the kids to the Israel Museum Sunday for a taste of what childhood was like in the austerity-stricken early days of the country with a hands-on exhibit of bygone childhood pursuits. Maybe they'll appreciate their lives more afterwards?

• For more adult-oriented museum time, swing by the Jerusalem Artists House for a new exhibit by respected Israeli artists Avner Katz, Gustavo Sagorsky and Chava Epstein.

• Give yourself a little grounding in pressing international affairs Monday by attending Foreign Ministry official Menashe Amir's lecture on the Iranian people at the Hebrew University.

• On Monday evening, reserve a seat at the Jerusalem Theatre for this season's premiere of the theatrical version of Savyon Liebrecht's novella "Apples from the Desert."

• Wrap yourself in the warm, if sometimes limiting embrace of the Jerusalem Anglo community at Mike's Place Tuesday night for some musical democracy in action: a freestyle, take-all-comers jam session. Bring your axe, as long as you like guitar rock and Shlomo Carlebach niggunim.

• Summer Nights continues on Wednesday with world music outfit the Shem Tov Levi Ensemble playing beneath the stars in Liberty Bell Park.

One is a renowned man of letters, a novelist, satirist and essayist whose emancipationist sympathies, finely honed wit and admirable mustache ensured him the title of "father of American literature." One is an Israeli war hero turned iconoclastic, if corpulent politician who during his tenure as prime minister began the process of disentangling the nation from its thorny post-1967 territorial gains before being felled by a stroke. And one is a religious Zionist seminary/urban development concern currently engaged in the controversial business of buying up and resettling the Old City's Muslim Quarter. Their common ground? One Jerusalem building, it turns out.

The aforementioned man of letters, one Samuel "Mark Twain" Clemens, embarked in 1867 on a tour of Palestine, then a region within the Ottoman Eyalet of Syria, and spent several days poking about the religious sites of Jerusalem. His travels in the Holy Land and Europe inspired the popular travel memoir The Innocents Abroad or The New Pilgrims' Progress, published in 1869, and partly informed the (for its time) remarkably philosemitic Concerning the Jews, published years later in 1898 - although as his surviving letters indicate, Twain's chief concern while he was actually in Jerusalem was one that should be familiar to any modern Jerusalem tourist: which thematically appropriate tchotchke to buy for the folks back home. From a letter to a Christian Quarter bookseller:

Ever feel like expressing your love for Jerusalem? Then get out a piece of paper. No pen. Just paper. And start folding. That's the idea behind the new exhibition Origami Regards from the World to Jerusalem at the Moriah Hotel July 22nd through the 24th. Run by the Israeli Origami Center, the international exhibition presents 1,500 works of origami by artists of all ages from more than 15 countries and four world religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. Coinciding with the exhibition is their fourth international convention which welcomes 14 leading international origami masters, including Eric Joisel, who will lead round-the-clock workshops for adults and children on origami practices, techniques and fun. Joisel, from France, is known for creating complicated and intricate works through (relatively) simple techniques and papers.

Representing Israel's contribution to the field of origami art is Paul Jackson. Originally from England and currently living and teaching in Tel Aviv, his breathtaking works have been exhibited in prestigious museums around the world. Jackson is best known for elevating origami to the fine art frontier, bringing the technique much critical attention and respect through his masterful works and theories. During the three-day conference workshops are open to the public (at a daily rate or evening rate, with advance registration) for both long-time fans of the art form and newcomers alike. It's a great opportunity to acquire new techniques or hone budding skills in the company of talented teachers and artists.

All works created during the conference will join the 1,500 works of art on display at the hotel either hanging from the glass-topped ceiling or decorating its walkways which were created by children and artists from around the world as part of a commissioned project, run by the Folding Together organization, to create origami messages of love for Jerusalem. The instructions were simple: express your love for Jerusalem in a work of origami; no religious motifs, only abstract shapes; and make sure the work is stable and strong enough to be hung from above. "The response was amazing," says Miri Golan, a leading Israeli origami artist and Director of the Israeli Origami Center and the Folding Together organization. "We received such wonderful works reflecting such hope and love from individuals, especially children, from around the world."

The Folding Together organization has been bringing together children from East and West Jerusalem to create works of origami together over the course of the past year. As Golan explains, "When children create together, they forget about things like politics and difference. They learn to form a new language that's shared, open and new. It's about peer-to-peer, or people to people, interaction without politics." July 24th will celebrate the project's end at the hotel with a short documentary film about the project and a performance of the traditional Sakura song by participating children and Japanese opera singer Isako Ikada in Japanese, Hebrew and Arabic. The exhibition will travel across Israel to smaller Jewish and Arab communities until the end of the year.

For information on fees and registration for participation in conference workshops call 03-751-3483 or download the form (pdf).

Featured above, origami work by Paul Jackson folded from a single, uncut sheet courtesy of Paul Jackson.

Tonight is your last chance to enjoy the myriad of top-notch wines being offered to you at the Israel Museum's Israeli Wine Festival. The three-night affair's finale promises to be jam-packed, if Jerusalemite's visit earlier this week is any indication. It is Thursday night, after all.

The Sculpture Garden has been transformed quite nicely into a highbrow bacchanalian, with lovers of fermented grape juice being given the opportunity to enjoy live jazz, plush outdoor couch seating areas, fancy chocolates and cheeses and plenty of other food options. And wine. Lots and lots of delicious wine that many of us could never afford to buy on a regular basis, but when you're talking about 55 NIS per entrance (which buys you a glass that you can rinse and refill as often as you'd like, one gulp's-worth at a time), the party is on.

Our favorites from this year's yield include the Tzova Sangiovese, the Psagot Franc, the Galil Pinot and the Dalton Barbera. Gush Etzion's cherry liqueur is not a wine really, but it was also alcoholic and extremely tasty.

Click here for more photos.

Is July Jerusalem's best month for culture, or is it just the wine buzz talking? Hopefully you've all been taking full advantage of the many fine offerings of the Film Festival and the Wine Festival, but don't think the cultural extravaganza stops there. The event train keeps on rolling, and as always, Jerusalemite is making sure you won't lack for things to see and do.

• Israelis may have the blues, but they don't play the blues, which is why they have to rely on Americans to do it for them. Get low down in the (Nile?) Delta with the Jerusalem Blues Project tonight at Mike's Place.

• But if the idea of Anglo-Israeli blues inspires some understandable trepidation, bring the kids to a screening of Madagascar at the Merkaz in the German Colony.

• On Friday, bid fond farewell to the Summer Nights at the Yellow Submarine with a free lineup of world music acts. Or check out Russian boppers Robert Anchipolovski and Leonid Decelman grooving high at D. Grey.

• Shaanan Street, lord and master of chartbusting hip-hop/funk outfit Hadag Nachash, has gone solo for some reason and will be performing live at Beit Avi Chai at 22:30 on Saturday night in support of his just-released album.

• There's something appealingly incongruous about Hebrew-language stage adaptations of popular American films - and if you need an example, look no further than the Jerusalem Theatre's winning production of Rain Man, also on Saturday night.

• Sunday marks the 39th anniversary of the moon landing. Commemorate that triumph of science with a visit to the Bloomfield Science Museum, currently running exhibits on kitchen science and book-making; or just raise a toast to Neil Armstrong while Boston-based Israeli indie rocker Michael Gottlieb plays a free set at HaTaklit.

• On Monday, swing by the Musrara art school to admire the works of its talented students at a special class gallery showing, and wind down the evening with cocktails and the smoky vocal stylings of young chanteuse Shelly Tzarafi at Birman.

• Admire the grace of some of Israel's hottest young dancers Tuesday at a performance by the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company at the Israel Museum. Be aware, though: unlike the Calatrava Bridge opening ceremony, no modesty smocks and beanies here.

• And finally, on Wednesday, explore the last love of Anton Chekhov via a play at the reliably high-quality Khan Theater.

The Jerusalem International Film Festival is celebrating its 25th year under the auspices of a new general director, Ilan de-Vries, former deputy director under festival founder Lia Van Leer. Mr. de-Vries took time from his busy schedule to speak with Jerusalemite about the festival and Jerusalem's cultural scene.

Please give us some background on the festival. How did it begin and how has it developed since? The Festival began in 1982 as the brain-child of Lia Van Leer and Dina Eldor and backed by the Jerusalem Foundation, which was headed at that time by Teddy Kollek. The festival began with 50 films. It was very small. There were few guests and virtually no Israeli cinema, because there wasn't much Israeli cinema in general at that time. Since then, the Festival has grown each year, attracting more famous guests such as Jane Fonda, Roberto Benigni and Alan Arkin. In addition to films made in the past year or two, we began showing archive films as well and created a special category, "In the Spirit of Freedom," which features films dealing with issues of human rights, democracy and tolerance. There is a large prize, courtesy of the Nathan Cummings Foundation for this category.

This year we're celebrating our 25th anniversary. The festival has really grown in its 25 years. This year we have 100 films from over 30 countries, including films from some Arab countries including Jordan. We don't often get films from the Arab world because of the political situation.

How did you personally become involved in the Festival? When the Cinematheque opened in 1981, I served as Ms. Van Leer's deputy and was very involved with the Film Festival in its early years. After nine years at the Cinematheque I left to work at Channel 2 and then Mishkenot Sha'ananim before returning to the Film Festival this year.

Must... keep... party... going....

As food and gas prices rise worldwide, and with Israelis (and Jews in general) always looking for a free ride (isn't that what the stereotype is all about?), the Chofshi Bakayitz (Summer Nights) series comes as a welcome breath of FREE fresh air in this hot summer. Founded in 2003 as an attempt to reinstate Jerusalem as the cultural capital of Israel and to provide residents with hope in the dark days of the intifada, the series now attracts culture hounds from all sectors and locales.

"It was important for me that people outside of Jerusalem come to the series as well, so we advertised all over the country," says Uri Strissover, cultural director of the Jerusalem Foundation, which sponsors the series. "I want people across the country to think of Jerusalem as a place of quality culture."

In keeping with its mandate to provide cultural opportunities to all of Jerusalem's residents, Chofshi Bakayitz offers a wide range of ways to spend those hot summer nights and days. The Yellow Submarine-hosted triple threat of Friday afternoon music sessions – rock, electro and world – was designed to attract the city's youth (the final session will be held this Friday). A number folk music and dance performances in the city's Gan Hapa'amon (Liberty Bell Park), on the other hand, have catered to those who still think Israeli culture means dancing the hora and/or singing in unison.

After the Bridge of Strings opening, in which young female dancers were asked at the last minute to wear more modest clothing, Jerusalemite was curious as to whether the Chofshi Bakayitz series encountered similar pressures from certain members of the Jerusalem leadership. The answer, according to Mr. Strissover is a resounding "no" - the reason being that the series purposely divvies up its events specifically so that all of Jerusalem's various religious and ethnic groups may take part in the series without having to attend events that they find offensive. An east Jerusalem street party featuring musical performances and family friendly activities attracted the city's Arab residents while an art exhibit at Oman, a charedi art school, is set to provide Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox residents with a day of culture that excludes scantily clad dancers. (The exhibit's grand opening takes place on Wednesday, July 14 at 8pm and the runs through July 30.)

The series closes out this Saturday, with yet another art exhibit - this time at the Artist's House.

Courtesy photo of Onili, a cheeky electro-pop songstress who played at the Yellow Submarine's recent electro-themed Friday session under the Chofshi Bakayitz umbrella.

It ain't easy being culturally active. You have to keep your ear to the ground. You have to stay abreast of events listings. You have to make difficult decisions: do you see a band, or a film? Wouldn't it be better, you've doubtless asked yourself, if you could see both at the same time (and perhaps not have to pay either)?

Sounds like you need some Moonlight Cinema.

Part of the ongoing Film Festival, Moonlight Cinema is three consecutive nights of free musical performances at the Old Train Station followed by free screenings of Israeli movies, each one definitely worth seeing.

It starts tonight with HaTavlinim playing a set before, appropriately enough, The Band's Visit (pictured), an ecstatically received (and quite excellent) 2007 Israeli production about an Egyptian police band slated to play at the opening of an Arab cultural center in Petach Tikva who, via some linguistic difficulties, wind up in a forgotten Negev development town. Veteran actors Sasson Gabai and Ronit Elkabetz are in fine form as the leads, but the show is stolen by up-and-coming Palestinian uber-hottie Saleh Bakri as a wistful skirt-chaser who just wants to find an Israeli girl with whom he can talk about Chet Baker. The dialogue is mostly in English; the only reason Beaufort represented Israel at the Oscars rather than this feature. Hebrew and Arabic dialogue will be subtitled.

Tomorrow, dig on the sounds of Yali Sobol, then get caught up in a full-on blast from the past with Shablul, the zany film debut of the massively popular late '60s comedy/variety troupe "Lool," from which sprang pop star/actor Arik Einstein and actor/comic Uri Zohar. The film is not subtitled, but frankly, if you're not either Israeli or very invested in Israeli culture, Einstein and Zohar's shenanigans might not make much sense even if it were.

Wednesday's proceedings are kicked off by Malkat HaPlakat, and carry on with Jellyfish, the debut directorial effort of Israeli literary superstar Etgar Keret. Jerusalemite hasn't seen this one, but if it manages to transfer to the screen Keret's rapier wit and sharp social eye, it should be a can't-miss.

Shows on all three nights start at 20:00, and there is a maximum capacity of 2,000 persons, so you may want to come early to ensure a place. And with those lovely Jerusalem summer night breezes coming up from the valleys, you might want to bring a layer of some kind. Jerusalemite's coverage of the Jerusalem Film Festival continues later this week.

Avi Ben, owner of the Avi Ben Wine Shop chain, is helping bring the "nectar of the gods" to Jerusalem mortals with the Israeli Wine Festival, an event held each summer at the Israel Museum. The festival, which attracts wine connoisseurs, wanna-be wine connoisseurs and those just looking to get loaded, runs from July 15-17 and offers attendees the chance to taste hundreds of top-shelf bottles for a flat fee.

How did you first get into the wine business? I started 25 years ago, working in my family's business, which was wholesale alcohol distribution. I soon realized that I was more connected to wine than to alcohol and that the type of people that enjoy wine are a bit different than your regular alcohol drinker, so I decided to develop this aspect of the business.

I opened my first store in Mahane Yehuda as a wholesale distributor. Then I opened a wine store in Talpiot in the mid-1980s. When I opened a second store in Nachalat Shiva in 1993 people thought I was crazy. That I was opening specifically a wine store and not an alcohol store – a store with tastings and courses in wine appreciation. It was definitely different, but it succeeded.

On July 3 we opened a new store in the shuk, right across from Rachmo. I've completed the circle, returning to the same place where my wholesale distribution store used to be. Today people say to me, "What? You're opening a store like this in the shuk?" But people said the same thing to me when I opened my store in Nachlat Shiva, and I proved them wrong.

All across Israel, the wine culture has changed, it has developed, and I was one of the pioneers of this development, one of the people at the forefront of this change, because of my own personal affiliation with wine, my personal taste for wine and the wine business.

You are one of the organizers of Jerusalem's annual Wine Festival. How did the Wine Festival come to be? What was the impetus behind it and when did it start? The first festival was held five years ago, in 2003. It was a time when bombs were going off regularly in Jerusalem and we noticed that business was slacking off - especially in the summer, when many of our regular customers went on vacation.