Celebrate with the arts, industry and open houses on Sukkot

A look at what’s happening around the country during the festival

By Jessica Steinberg

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4 October 2017, 11:35 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

We’re at the halfway point of the High Holiday period, and the holiday that’s about to begin, Sukkot, is, indisputably, the best part of the season for activities.

There are all kinds of events and places to visit, including museum exhibits, concerts, national parks and beaches, and we’ve selected a few around the country that could work well and are pretty easy on the wallet.

1) Take in some art at the Jerusalem Biennale for Contemporary Jewish Art, which features more than 200 Israeli and international artists in 27 exhibitions at eight venues throughout the city. October 1-November 16

While the Biennale runs through November, there are English-guided tours during the intermediate days of Sukkot, offering two-and-a-half hours of discussion, interpretation and conversation about the exhibitions.

This year’s Jerusalem Biennale challenged artists to seek watershed moments in their own history, and in that of the Jewish people; these are some of the works hung in the Underground Prisoners Museum, one of the eight locations of the art exhibitions (Jessica Steinberg/Times of Israel)

Sunday, October 8, 11 a.m., visit the Bezeq building, the main venue of the Biennale and the Van Leer Institute.

Monday, October 9, 11 a.m., take a tour of the exhibits in the Tower of David Museum, the Austrian Hospice and the Underground Prisoners Museum.

Participants are advised to register in advance for tickets at NIS 90 rather than NIS 100 at the venue. There are also private tours available, by emailing tours@jerusalembiennale.org. The regular NIS 45 ticket, which can be purchased on the website or at any venue, includes one entry per venue during the seven weeks of the show.

The ‘Ushpiziot’ Sukkot images created by the Dov Abramson Studio, one of the artists appearing at the Kol Haot event on Sukkot (Courtesy Dov Abramson)

2) Wanna get a little more hands-on with your artistic side? Head to the Kol Haot event on Monday, October 9, when the educational art organization is inviting the public to meet the artists of Hutzot Hayotzer, the arts and crafts lane outside the Old City walls.

The free event includes tours of exhibits by local artists Mordechai Beck, Sharon Binder, Adina Gatt, and Studio Dov Abramson, and the opportunity to participate in Sukkot art workshops for the whole family, from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.

The event also includes the grand opening of the new Kol Haot center, with a free, creative writing and art workshop. Hutzot Hayotzer, 14 Hativat Yerushalayim Street.

3) Israelis come out of the woodwork to shake President Reuven Rivlin’s hand during his annual Sukkah open house on Monday, October 9, 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at his Jerusalem residence, and now they can do the same in Tel Aviv, when he’ll be shaking heads at the sukkah in Kikar Hatarbut, otherwise known as Habima Square on Tuesday, October 10, at 5 p.m., with Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai at his side.

One of Yehoshua Halevi’s Sukkot images, which he’ll help budding photographers find during his Sukkot workshop (Courtesy Yehoshua Halevi)

4) Back in Jerusalem, photographer Yehoshua Halevi has a Sukkot workshop on Tuesday, October 9, at 10 a.m., when he’ll be highlighting a search for holiday images in the neighborhood of Mea Shearim. Advance registration is required on Yehoshua Halevi’s website.

5) There’s a long list of events taking place throughout the Negev, including several that are worth checking out. Try the Working from Within Festival in Kiryat Gat, on October 10, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., when companies like Intel, Indigo HP, Fritz International (a shipping company), and other multinationals open their doors to the public and explain what they do. NIS 10 for ages 12 and up, Kiryat Gat industrial park.

*Channeling ancient customs at Abraham’s Well in Beersheba (Courtesy GoNegev)*

Beersheba is hosting a Sukkot festival at Park Beersheva on October 10, from 10 a.m until 4 p.m., as well as an Ancient Sukkot event at the Abraham’s Well visitor’s center (October 8-10, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.). There are also Sukkot activities during the fifth Science Festival at the Carasso Science Park, also on October 8-10. For more details, see the Go Negev website.