Festival of light offers activities for all

A top-five primer of events in Israel throughout the eight-day holiday and the beginning of winter

By Jessica Steinberg

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4 December 2015, 12:26 pm

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

The Festival of Lights is upon us. It’s time to take out the chanukiyah (that’s a menorah, for you folks in the Diaspora), stock up on candles, and haul sacks of potatoes and onions home from the supermarket for frying up some latkes.

That’s before pondering which of the jelly donuts — Vanilla Princess? Irish Coffee? Golden Crisp? — to buy at Roladin. (Did you know you can make jelly doughnuts at Roladin over Hanukkah at their visitor’s center in Kadima? NIS 40 per person, ages 5-10, NIS 30 on Friday, pre-registration necessary.)

Finally, whether or not you’re on vacation next week, it’s a season of activity throughout the day and into the evening. We’ve chosen a few events that look like fun, emphasizing what’s free or cheap. Extra points for anything that lifts the Hanukkah spirit or includes exercise.

1) Take a run with Janglo, Israel’s largest online community for English speakers, and Crossroads Jerusalem, a nonprofit working with at-risk, English-speaking youth. The two organizations are hosting a 5K Festival of Lights Night Run in Jerusalem during Hanukkah, with all proceeds going to Anglo teens at risk. After the run, there will be candle lighting and a festival for children at Jerusalem’s First Station. Tuesday, December 8, 6 pm. For registration and more information go to the Janglo website.

'Fauda' actor Tzahi Halevy will act in one of the plays being performed as part of Mahazemer in xx over Chanukah (Courtesy Mahazemer) — ‘Fauda’ actor Tzahi Halevy will act in one of the plays being performed as part of Mahazemer in Bat Yam over Chanukah (Courtesy Mahazemer)

2) Head to Bat Yam for HaMachazemer, a musical theater event of plays that were written, staged, directed and acted in by locals. It’s fun to see who’s acting in the shows, including some singers from “The X-Factor,” “A Star is Born” and actor Tzahi Halevy, who starred in “Bethlehem” and is in TV show “Fauda.” Halevy plays the main character in “The Singer,” about a Middle Eastern singer caught in an identity crisis.

It’s the third year of this musical theater festival, with a series of musicals and puppet shows geared for kids as well, throughout each day of Hanukkah.

There’s a long list of plays to choose from, including “Messiah,” about a Tel Aviv bartender who becomes a reality star (December 8, 5:30 pm, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.); “Goldie,” about ultra-Orthodox Jerusalemites in 1957 (December 9, 5:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.); “The Singer,” (December 10, 5:30 pm, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.) and others. Call 03-574-5005 or *8023 to order the NIS 15 tickets, or through the site. All shows for adults are at Heichal Hatarbut Bat Yam, 3 Simtat Ophir, Bat Yam.

The kids’ shows will run from December 7-14, with morning and afternoon shows (none later than 5:30 p.m.) at NIS 15 per ticket.

Soprano Ayelet Cohen wants to bring opera to the masses, and wrote a short, 20-minute comic opera called 'Telephone' (Photo credit: Amit Gosher) — Soprano Ayelet Cohen wants to bring opera to the masses, and wrote a short, 20-minute comic opera called ‘Telephone’ (Amit Gosher)

3) Not sure how you feel about opera? Head to a free comic opera about a guy trying to propose to his girlfriend, who won’t get off the phone. Called “Telephone,” the set of performances are part of Hamshushalayim, the Thursday night series of events in Jerusalem this winter.

Soprano Ayelet Cohen developed the opera, which is brief at just 20 minutes, as a way of getting non-opera fans to try out the classic musical genre. Thursday, December 17, at 8 p.m., 9 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., at the Museum of Italian Jewish Art, 25 Hillel Street.

There’s also free opera in Tel Aviv, at Jaffa’s Shuk Hapishpeshim.

The Israeli Opera will perform outside, in the streets of the vintage and antique market, choosing famous arias and solos from operas, operettas, musical theater and Israeli songs. Every Friday in December through December 25, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

4) Want something a little more multicultural? Haifa will be hosting A-Sham, the city’s first Arab Food Festival for the Holiday of Holidays, from December 8-11. It’s an introduction to the world of Arab cuisine, with expert direction by 2014 Master Chef winner Dr. Nof Atamna-Ismaeel.

A-Sham refers to the geographical area of the Levant, and the festival will focus on the foods of the Levantine kitchen, such as hilbe cookies for nursing mothers; habisa, a black and white carob pudding; and haroumanieh, green lentils cooked with eggplant in pomegranate juice.

Nof Atamna-Ismaeel, winner of the 2014 season of 'MasterChef' directed the A-Sham Food Festival in Haifa, taking place during Chanukah (photo credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash 90) — Nof Atamna-Ismaeel, winner of the 2014 season of ‘MasterChef’ directed the A-Sham Food Festival in Haifa, taking place during Chanukah (photo credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash 90)

Twenty-five chefs from around Israel will cook in local restaurants, preparing festival dishes for visitors (priced at NIS 35 each), with all restaurants easily found on the map made for the event.

There are other activities as well, including a Christmas cookie workshop, a pop-up shop for Sindyanna of Galilee, a trade organization for Arab women seeking social change; free, early evening panels and discussions about the Arab kitchen (The Humus Wars, The Role of Women in the Arab Kitchen, The New Arab Kitchen); and musical performances. A-Sham, December 8-10, 1 p.m.-10 p.m., December 11, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

See Cinderella performed by the Israel Ballet over Chanukah (Courtesy Eyal Landsman Muktan)

5) Take a break from the usual noise of the annual Festigal shows for kids and take the little ones to the ballet.

The Israel Ballet will perform “Cinderella” throughout the week of Hanukkah, with afternoon performances in Tel Aviv, Ariel, Haifa, Jerusalem and Petah Tikva.

Tickets cost NIS 85 to NIS 179 and are available through the Eventim site or at the Israel Ballet box office, at 03-604-6610.