Jerusalem
Cultural Events
Calendar
2015
Tower of David
January 2015
Sun
Mon
4
5
11
12
18
Tue
Wed
Fri
By the Rivers
of Babylon
Diary of a Donkey
1 Happy New Year! 2
6
7
8
13
14
19
20
26
27
Birth of Milad un Nabi
Thu
3
9
10
15
16
17
21
22
23
24
28
29
30
31
Sat
Baptism of Christ
25
By the Rivers of Babylon
Diary of a Donkey
A story never told before...The story of a family that lived through the
Babylonian Exile, its tragedy and redemption. The exhibition will present
never before seen Babylonian texts, and together with animated movies and
a new interactive design an exhibit that will take visitors back in time to
experience one of the most defining events in the history of the Jewish people.
Bible Lands Museum
‫ ‏‬he group exhibition consists of both Jewish and Arab artists portraying
T
in combined media the character of the donkey and its role in the Israeli
family and society from the 1920s until today. ‫‏‬The exhibition reveals the
rich cultural background of references to the donkey, inspired by various
sources- from political criticism to literature, religion and history.
The Museum for Islamic Art
January 1st
Till Apr 2015
Gorni Church
February 2015
1
Sun
New Jerusalem in
Babylonia
8
International Book
Fair
Mon
2
3
Winter Noise
Cultural Festival
9
Winter Noise
Cultural Festival
Tue
10
4
Wed
Tu B’shvat
11
5
Thu
12
6
13
Fri
7
14
Valentine’s Day ❤
6 Artists \ 6 projects
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
Winter Noise
Cultural Festival
Winter Noise
Cultural Festival
New Jerusalem in
Babylonia - February 1 – 3
Scholars from around the world
will gather at the BLMJ for the
World Premier of an archive of
ancient documents from the city
of Al-Yahudu, the City of the
Judeans. These tablets, found in
Jerusalem in 586 BCE, bring to
life the first generations of the
Babylonian exile. Sat
International Book Fair
February 8 - 12
First held in 1963, This Book
Fair is a unique biennial event,
renown not only as a business
Fair but also as a prestigious and
important cultural event. Many
heads of renowned publishing
houses, agents, sales personnel,
foreign rights representatives,
editors and authors participate
there. First Station Compound
6 Artists \ 6 projects
February 10 - August 29
The Israel Museum initiates
its 50th Anniversary year with
an exhibition recognizing six
contemporary artists whose work
reflects the diverse creativity of
Israeli art today. Embracing
disciplines from photography
to installation and especially
in the context of its role as an
encyclopedic institution.
Winter Noise - Cultural
Festival
Every Monday in February
Jerusalem’s streets are
transformed into a lively
cultural venue full of surprises as
thousands of young people come
together for this exciting series of
cultural happenings, including
music, dance, street theater,
video art, cooking workshops,
parties, artist masterclasses and
exhibitions. Downtown.
Jerusalem Marathon
March 2015
1
Sun
8
2
Mon
9
3
10
Tue
4
11
Wed
5
12
Thu
Purim
6
Fri
Shushan Purim
13
7
Sat
14
Jerusalem Marathon
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Sounds of the Old
City Festival
International Jerusalem Marathon
sounds of the old city festival
The city is expecting 20,000 participants, with 2,000 of them arriving
from abroad. Events such as the Sports and Health Expo are only a
fraction of the festivities. The track goes through all of Jerusalem’s
landmarks, combining sport with breathtaking views.
Jerusalem’s Old City alleyways are already fraught with magic and
charm, but the Sounds of the Old City Music Festival brings even more
enchantment to the ancient cobbled streets, with ensembles playing diverse
musical styles from traditional Armenian to gospel.
March 13
March 16 - 19
Sculpture by Anish Kapoor, Iseael Museum
April 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
1
2
Thu
3
“1965” Exhibition
Fri
Passover Eve
Sat
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Easter Sunday
26
27
28
Israel Museum celebrates a decade
“1965” Exhibition
April 1 - August 29
A centerpiece of the Museum’s 50th Anniversary
year, this exhibition explores the visual and aesthetic
character of Israel in 1965, the year the Museum was
founded. Opening with a diorama-style presentation
of a classic Israeli-designed interior from the period,
1965 Today focuses on the creative production of
Israel’s artists of the time, including artists whose
works were shown in the new Israel Museum and
elsewhere across Israel’s emerging art scene in the
mid-1960s. Iconic examples of contemporary art
from Europe and the U.S. will be referenced, as will
dominant international movements that influenced
Israeli art, among them post-World War II
Abstraction and the emerging movements of Pop Art,
Op Art, and Minimalism. 1965 Today features works
drawn from the Museum’s holdings, together with
important loans from collections worldwide.
22
Holocaust Memorial
Day
Earth Day
Memorial Day
29
Good Friday
23 St George’s Day 24
Independence day
30
Holy Saturday
25
Musrara Mix Festival
May 2015
Sun
3
Mon
4
Tue
5
Wed
6
Thu
7
Lag Baomer
Expo Bicycle Tour
Fri
1
2
8
9
Jerusalem Bicycle
Tour
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Jerusalem Day
Israel Festival
Mini Maker Fair
Sat
Shavuot eve
31
Mini Maker Fair
Israel Festival
Jerusalem Bicycle Tour
This Fair is the biggest and most
unusual event of its kind in Israel.
It will be held at the Bloomfield
Science Museum. There will be
special areas for visitors to build
and experiment. Events will
include gigantic demonstrations,
musical and artistic performances.
A three week spectacular of
art, music, dance and theatre,
Jerusalem’s top venues take part
in this fun festival. Audiences
are able to enjoy works by artists
from all over the world, as well
as premieres of Israeli pieces and
free performances of street theatre
across the city.
Variety of tours in nature and
municipal parks, bike rides,
recycling workshops and activities
for all the family, including The
Around Jerusalem bicycle Tour.
across the city.
May 24 - 25
May 28 - June 18
May 7 - 8
The International
Writers Festival
May, TBA
A week of conversations between
Israeli and guest authors, panel
discussions, workshops, literature
and film, events for children and
the 90th anniversary celebration
of poet Yehuda Amichai.
Mishkenot Sha’ananim
Light Festival
June 2015
Sun
7
1
Mon
8
Light Festival
2
Tue
Musrara Mix Festival
Wed
3
4
Thu
5
Fri
6
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Light Festival
June 3 - 11
This annual light festival brings
the greatest light sculptors in the
world to Jerusalem. Their works
will light up the streets and alleys
of the Old City, major tourist sites
and public spaces. Artists from
Israel and abroad take part in the
festival and use light in order to
create statues, installations and
performances.
World Renowned
Contemporary Judaica
Opera Festival
June TBA
World renowned contemporary
Judaica artist, Moshe Zabari,
has been a master craftsman over
the last 60 years. The exhibition
will include selected works
from his recent sculptures and
ceremonial objects. Emphasizing
the influence of ancient art on
Zabari's designs. BLMJ
Opera Festival in honor of
Alfred Greenberg
June 24 - 28
The festival features Donizetti’s
charming love story – L’Elisir
d’Amore, performed by
international opera singers, the
Israeli Opera Chorus and the
Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra.
Set at the Sultan’s Pool. The
festival juxtaposes the cultural
vibrancy and energy of the opera.
Sat
Musrara Mix Festival
June 2 - 6
This multidisciplinary event is
part of a UNESCO network of
cultural programs, held by the
Musrara School, one of Israel’s
most innovative platforms for
underground culture. featuring
artists from Israel and abroad,
it will be held in the Musrara
neighborhood.
Opera Festival
July 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
1
Wed
Music exhibition
2
Thu
3
Fri
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Tisha B’av
Eid al fitr
International Film Festival
Music exhibition
The festival features 10 jam-packed days
of screenings, honorary guests, panels and
festivities. The festival takes place at the Sultan
Pool and provides an arena for Israeli film and
the world’s finest cinematic trends.
Musical summer filled with sounds and
science in a unique music exhibition at the
Science Museum. Coming from The Mobile
Music Museum in Düsseldorf, Germany. An
experience for the whole family combining
play, creativity, fun and joy among more than
60 interactive sound sculptures.r
July TBA
July 1 - 11
Sat
Contact Point
Jerusalem Season of Culture
July, TBA
The Israel Museum and the Jerusalem Season
of Culture present this all-night arts festival.
Throughout the night, museum-goers will
experience artistic encounters in dance, music
and performance.
Contact Point
August 2015
Sun
2
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
1
3
4
5
6
7
8
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
9
Puppet Theatre
Festival
Sat
Puppet Theatre Festival
Beer Festival
Arts & Crafts Fair
Wine Festival
The Train Theatre initiated this
festival in 1983 and this celebration
of visual theatre has been an
annual event since 2001, hosting
local and international artists.
The festival’s program mainly
targets children, but there are
performances for adults as well.
The Jerusalem Beer Festival is a
one of a kind experience, an event
which is currently celebrating
its 10th year. Some 100,000
liters of over 100 different brews
from around the world are on
tap at this unique festival at
Independence Park.
Held at the Hutzot Hayotzer
Arts and Crafts Center, Mitchell
Gardens and the AmphiTheatre
in the Sultan’s Pool (located at
the foot of the Old City walls),
hundreds of artists, local and
international, take part in this
colorful event.
Hosted by the Israel Museum,
this festival is an excellent
opportunity to sample wines
from the country’s leading
wineries in the museum’s
splendid sculpture garden. There
will be about 35 wineries that
can be sampled with the cost
of admission.
August 9 - 13
August, TBA
August, TBA
August TBA
Night Spectacular, Tower of David
September 2015
Sun
Mon
1
Tue
Wed
2
3
6
7
8
9
10
13
14
15
16
21
22
23
Thu
On the wings
of Raga
4
Fri
5
11
12
17
18
19
24
25
26
Sat
Rosh Ha’shana Eve
20
Yom Kippur Eve
27
28
Sukkot Eve
29
Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival
Jerusalem season of culture
September TBA
A magnificent four-day festival that calls
musicians from across the globe to celebrate their
sacred traditions in the most sacred city in the
world. The festival brings its own unique voice
into millennia-old caves, gardens and fortresses.
30
Chamber Music Festival
The Piyyut Festival
Held annually at the YMCA, this festival
brings together prominent classical musicians
for a series of intriguing concerts. The
2015 festival will highlight chamber pieces
by Schubert and will offer special shows in
collaboration with the Opera Festival.
Beit Avi-Chai presents ancient liturgical verse
given a yearly lease of life at this festival.
New voices sing the traditional words of this
religious art form, exposing new audiences to
its captivating mysteries. Performances paint a
colorful image of temple times.
September, TBA
September TBA
Machne Yehuda Market
October 2015
Sun
4
Hoshanah Rabah
Mon
5
Tue
Wed
1
Thu
2
Fri
3
6
7
8
9
10
14
15
16
17
21
22
23
24
28
29
30
31
Sat
Simchat Torah
11
12
13
18
19
20
25
26
27
Manofim - Contemporary Art
Festival
October, TBA
The official event of the contemporary art
scene in Jerusalem, which kicks off the city’s
exhibitions season. Manofim is an independent
initiative that emerged from the ranks of
artists who live and create in Jerusalem, and is
directed by them.
Open Houses
Hallowe’en
Jerusalem March
Open Houses
The Jerusalem March is an organized offering
of walking tours through the city. Locals and
visitors can choose between a 12 km or a 6 km
tour guided by knowledgeable hosts with ample
historic facts. Festivities follow the march, with
performances and lively music.
One weekend a year Jerusalem opens up a huge
variety of generally private spaces to the public
in this huge event; houses, synagogues, gardens
and more become available to public eyes, in
some of the most private, renowned spots across
the city.
October, TBA
October 20-22
YMCA
November 2015
Sun
1
2
Mon
3
Tue
Wed
4
Thu
5
Fri
6
7
Sat
Al-Hijirah
8
9
10
11
12
15
16
17
18
19
22
23
24
25
26
International
Oud Festival
13
14
20
21
27
28
Thanksgiving
29
Advent Sunday
30
International Oud Festival
International Dance Festival
The Festival presents the oud as a unique instrument which bridges
between various musical cultures and traditions across the Middle East,
the Mediterranean and the Indian subcontinent. Confederation House,
Beit Shmuel and Jerusalem Theater.
The International Dance Festival at the Gerard Bechar Center features
an exciting selection of Israeli choreographers alongside guest artists
from around the world, and offers great insight into contemporary dance
for a wide range of audiences.
November 12 - 21
November, TBA
Armon Hanatziv Promenade
December 2015
Sun
6
Mon
7
1
Tue
2
Wed
Thu
3
4
Fri
5
8
9
10
11
12
15
16
17
18
19
24
25
26
Sat
Hanukkah
13
14
Hullegeb Festival
20
21
22
23
Christmas Eve
27
28
29
30
Christmas
31
Hullegeb Israel-Ethiopian Arts
Festival - December 16 - 23
Jerusalem Design Week
Jewish Film Festival
The Hullegeb Festival brings together traditional
Ethiopian culture in theater, dance and music,
with Israeli and western culture. The festival
features theater, concerts and dance performances.
Beit Shmuel, Confederation House and Gerard
Bechar Center.
Design exhibitions, tours, seminars and
meetings with designers are all part of
Jerusalem’s fourth annual Design Week,
exposing visitors to the multidisciplinary
creativity of the local design field. Venues
across Jerusalem.
The week-long festival explores the questions of
Jewish Identity, faith and tradition, history,
culture, music, the Holocaust, daily life in Israel
and more. The festival features screenings of over
65 films, both Israeli and international, lectures,
discussion and live concerts. Cinematheque.
December, TBA
December, TBA
Rooftop restaurant, Mamilla Hotel
Save the Date!
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Jerusalem’s
Annual
Events
2015
Jerusalem muni maker fair
Israel Festival
Eco Tourism Weekend
The International Writers Festival
Jerusalem sacred Music Festival
Chamber Music Festival
The Piyyut Festival
International Book Fair
Winter Noise - Cultural Festival
Light Festival
Musrara Mix Festival
International Archeological
conference
Manofim - Contemporary art
festival
Jerusalem March
International Jerusalem Marathon
Sounds of the Old City Festival
International Film Festival
Contact Point
International Oud Festival
International Dance Festival
Israel Museum celebrates a decade
Puppet Theatre Festival
Beer Festival
Arts & Crafts Fair
Wine Festival
Hullegeb Israel-Ethiopian Arts
Festival
Jerusalem Design Week
Jewish Film Festival
Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival
Photo by Haim Yafim Barbalat