When the seder’s over, get out and play

It’s Passover vacation! Time to venture out of the house with the rest of the nation, seeing what the museums, nature sites and national parks have to offer. Don’t forget to pack yet another makeshift picnic of matzah (or Passover roll) sandwiches for you and your loved ones.

Are you up for it? You are, we promise. Just check out our handy list of what’s hip and happening during Passover, and we’re absolutely sure you’ll find something that speaks to you — and your crew. Guaranteed.

Let’s start with the museums. The Tel Aviv Museum of Art is hosting TURN ON, a major collection of time-based media works from Germany, in honor of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. “Turn On,” a title borrowed from one of the exhibited works, refers to the many actions used to view the works — 22 of them created by 17 different artists in the last decade. More than half of the artists are women; some of the pieces deal with gender, sexuality and female identity. On display in the museum’s still-new Herta and Paul Amir Building, a sculptural space that feels just right for these installations. TURN ON, March 31-August 29.

Down in Jaffa, the port and the Old Jaffa Museum have two exhibits that will easily engage the younger and older sets. The International Exhibition of Contemporary Paper Art at the Old Jaffa Museum is featuring the works of 30 different paper artists, and also includes workshops for kids and adults, ages four and up. The museum is open on Hol Hamoed and during the holiday, but check the website for exact days and times; visitors interested in the workshops must register in advance with the Israeli Origami Center.

Kids can explore their fascination with monsters at Passover workshops, storytelling and shows on the subject, being held at the southern end of the Jaffa port. April 5-6, NIS 10 per person, and NIS 20-30 for workshops. 

Over in Jerusalem, the Israel Museum is introducing many exhibits for its 50th anniversary, including 6 Artists 6 Subjects and the recently opened 1965 Today, a collection of 50 artworks reflecting the art and design scene in Israel when the museum first opened. Museum director James Snyder calls it “a snapshot of the year when the Museum came into being.”

And once in Jerusalem, head over to Gazelle Valley, where urban wildlife just may triumph over residential development. The 15-year battle to keep this acreage wild was celebrated earlier this week with the grand opening of the park, which is still under construction but is slated to become a space for learning and appreciating the gazelles that are native to this tract of land.

Want to head north? Maalot Tarshiha in the Galilee is hosting a sculpture festival during Passover around the perimeters of Monfort Lake. Some 14 sculptors from 10 countries will sculpt for three days, in front of you, the audience, contemplating the form of future sculpture.

There will also be activities and workshops for kids, and, taking advantage of the recently renewed access to the nearby Kziv Stream, there  are also tours and shuttles to the stream and Crusader-era fortress of this Galilean hideaway. If you need more art, the local arts center is hosting a sculpture-based exhibit, “Connected Vessels,” showing the works of Yehiel Shemi, an Israel Prize laureate and local pioneer of modern iron sculpture. April 5-7, Maalot Tarshiha, Galilee.

Kibbutz Yifat, also in the Galilee, wants us to hark back to the days of old, when kids played jacks (or Five Stones, as the Israeli counterpart is known), blew bubbles and jumped rope. The kibbutz museum is hosting workshops in glass-blowing, pottery and woodworking and offering tours of the kibbutz — and the ever-popular tractor shed — on April 7 and 8, with NIS 25 fees for kids and NIS 50 per adult, and an additional NIS 20 per workshop. The old-fashioned games are all available as part of the entrance fee.

If you’re not up for nature, hit the theater for the Tel Aviv Cinematheque’s Animation Festival, where there will be directors’ panels with Etgar Keret, Ari Folman and Alex Orelle (a former Pixar animator who now works out of Israel) and animation workshops. April 5-7, NIS 38 per event, Tel Aviv Cinematheque.

History buffs can head to the Shalom Tower, Israel’s first skyscraper, which will be the focal point for celebrating the city’s 106th birthday on April 11, when 66 families arrived on the sands of the future Mediterranean city. Most of the tours are in Hebrew, and are being held next week. The 2.5-3 hour walks (not for kids), are about different areas of the city, including its landmarked buildings and the recently renovated Sarona complex. Call 054-559-5839 for days, times and details.

Or, just sit back and relax at a performance. If Yiddish is your thing, the Suzanne Dellal Center is hosting an International Yiddish Festival — yes, really. Once you listen to Scandinavian Louisa Lyne and Di Yiddish Kapelye sing “Mir Leben Eyrich,” or hear Kayah’s jazzy interpretations of Yiddish classics, you’ll have a whole new take on the language. Tickets and information about the various performances are available on the Suzanne Dellal website.

And it’s not exactly the right time period, but there are Hebrew slaves and a king in “Nabucco,” Giuseppe Verdi’s Italian libretto based on the biblical stories of the Book of Jeremiah and the Book of Daniel, which is being performed by the Israeli Opera from April 7-25, see the Opera website for ticket details.