No holidays? No problem!

Music, art, stories and apps to keep you entertained till the Hanukkah festivities begin

By Jessica Steinberg

You will receive email alerts from this author. Manage alert preferences on your profile page

You will no longer receive email alerts from this author. Manage alert preferences on your profile page

18 November 2015, 11:41 am

Edit

Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center

It’s that time of year when there’s no holiday for at least three weeks (yes, Hanukkah approaches), unless you and yours celebrate Thanksgiving or have a hospitable American friend who invites you over for turkey and trimmings on November 26.

In the meantime, there are some good options for going out in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa, with events, apps and exhibits geared for residents and tourists, for both night owls and day trippers.

1) Start in Jerusalem, where the city has sponsored City Tale, a scavenger hunt around the downtown streets by way of an original story and illustrations posted on the sides of local buildings. The story is told in installments by Israeli novelist Gail Hareven, with illustrations by artists Roy Margaliot, Vali Mintzi, Sari Dayan, Menahem Halberstadt, Elad Lifshitz, Noa Kelner, Elad Mualem and Eitam Tobol.

There are hints given at each stop as to the location of the next installment, and you can also easily download the map from the website or take one from a store or cafe located near each installment. There are also tours being led, with registration available online.

From the illustrations used to map out a story told in installments, on the walls of Jerusalem's downtown buildings (Courtesy City Tale) — From the illustrations used to map out a story told in installments, on the walls of Jerusalem’s downtown buildings (Courtesy City Tale)

2) Want to find out what’s happening nightly in the capital city? Try the JLM Night Guide app, a handy tool for keeping up with events at local bars, cafes and other hangouts, sponsored by the Youth Authority in City Hall. There are food and drink discounts for designated drivers, special Happy Hour menus to encourage locals to go out on the earlier side — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. counts as early around here — and other discounts at cafes, bars and restaurants for those who attend events and exhibits taking place at local museums, galleries and theaters.

https://youtu.be/ikGxbSVJtFA

3) Fans of the Blues Brothers, that zany pair of blues-singing brothers originally created by funnymen Dan Akroyd and John Belushi, can indulge in a bit of nostalgia at the Blues Brother Approved concerts being performed in Haifa and Tel Aviv in December. The performance is based on the album of music created by Akroyd and Belushi in 1978, and performed by the pair until Belushi’s death from a cocaine overdose in 1982.

The original backing band began touring as the Blues Brothers Band, and various versions of that band have continued performing to this day, including original members Steve Cropper and Lou Marini, as “approved: by Belushi’s widow, Judith Belushi, and Dan Akroyd. The Blues Brothers Approved, December 19 in Haifa, December 20 and 21 in Tel Aviv, tickets available at leaan.co.il.

The confluence of pottery and photography, and archaeology, at a new ceramics exhibit (Courtesy Ronit Barnega)

4) Contemplate an encounter between pottery and photography at “Proximity Search,” currently on display at The Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Center in Tel Aviv. Thirty ceramicists were asked to choose a clay archaeological item from a local museum and let it inspire them to create a new work. The results are engaging. November 19-January 2, The Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Center, 17 Ha’amal Street, Tel Aviv.

5) Grab some tickets for the Oud Festival, November 12-21 at the Jerusalem Confederation House. The opening concert is with Peretz Eliyahu, based on his interpretation of texts from the Song of Songs, accompanied by Mark Eliyahu and Shai Tsabari on vocals. Other perennial favorites include Professor Taiseer Elias, Sameer Makhoul and Itamar Doari, and the debut album of Eliyahu Dagmi, melding ancient texts on the electric guitar at the Yellow Submarine. For more information, head to the Oud Festival site at the Confederation House.

Need another festival? Try the Kisufim Writer’s Conference for Israeli and Jewish writers November 23-27 at Mishkenot Sha’ananim in Jerusalem, with visiting and local writers reading, conversing and lecturing at Jerusalem venues. All morning and early afternoon events (until 4 p.m.) are free.