FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24
Visit the Agripas 12 Gallery to see Mother-Land, a new exhibition by Ariane Littman. Self-described as “the artist who bandages the wounds of Israel,” Littman offers works that connect motherhood, the body, trauma and the political discourse around the West Bank.
In a photograph titled The Artist and Her Muse, Littman attempts to heal her daughter, who was injured in a childhood accident. In The Maiden of Israel, Littman presents an installation – a map that is like a seeping wound. Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free admission.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25
Enjoy the tail end of the Lupulus Beer Celebration at Biratenu (6 Hillel St.). If you order a liter of Lupulus, a Belgian beer that Biratenu imports, you will be eligible to enter a lottery. Winners take home nifty prizes such as beer mugs, shirts or hats.
If you go on Friday, you can enter the lottery and enjoy special deals such as a five-plus-one offer on all beer bottles, and bottomless Israeli beer on tap for NIS 70.
Drink responsibly. Remember, Sunday is a workday.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26
Kick back and read Maakaf, an online digital publication offered in English by the School of Visual Theater (11 Bezalel St.). Read A Certain Desolation Is Required by Claudia Castellucci; and Yasmeen Goddar’s About the Creative Process for Strawberry Cream and Gunpowder. See: maakaf.co.il/issue/issue-no-12/?lang=en
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27
Watch the 2021 documentary Portrait, about Acre painter Kifaya Ayati. A survivor of domestic violence, Ayati paints women who were murdered or beaten by their partners. Directed by Yael Kipper and Ronen Zaretsky, this film is a powerful look into the larger issue of femicide. Screened at the Jerusalem Cinematheque at 6 p.m. Shown with English subtitles. The screening will be followed by a discussion with Ayati.
She is not the only artist attempting to deal with this vast and painful issue. Irish painter Brian Maguire painted a series of portraits of Mexican women from Ciudad Juárez who were killed in unsolved cases. It is estimated that 1,400 women were murdered in that city since 1994.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28
Attend the Toby Willig Memorial Lecture on Shaul Weingort, presented by Holocaust scholar Sara Kadosh, who published the 2019 book We Think of You as an Angel (Yad Vashem Publications). Weingort, a Polish-born rabbi, moved to Switzerland before World War II began. He created a network of support for those within Hitler’s reach, which included food packages and South American passports, saving many Polish Jews.
His son, Rabbi Abraham Weingort, is an expert on Jewish law and the works of Rabbi Yechiel Ya’akov Weinberg (author of Seridei Eish). The English lecture will take place at 1 p.m. at Emunah Jerusalem (6 Arlozorov St.). The NIS 60 admission includes a light lunch. To reserve, call (02) 650-9047. Kadosh’s book can be purchased for $39 via the Yad Vashem site.
✱ In the decades following the Holocaust, many believed this immense tragedy meant a major break in Jewish traditional life and that real answers to this loss would be offered by ideologies and structures such as the State of Israel or the creation of powerful Jewish communities in the free world.
In recent years, this had been challenged by religious-oriented activists and scholars who posed the following question: Although for many people this tragedy meant loss of faith, some continued to be Torah-observant Jews. How did they understand the destruction? Were they really passively led to their destruction?
Triumph of the Spirit, created by haredi women Miriam Cohen, Chani Koplowitz and Yuti Neiman, offers patrons a VR set and a digital tour of Jewish life in pre-war Krakow, and then Auschwitz. Located at the Time Elevator Jerusalem space (Mamila Mall, -1 level), visitors can soar above the ground and see the death camp with their virtual guide, Rabbi Yisrael Goldwasser, who explains what they are witnessing.
This is a faith-based attitude toward history from a haredi perspective. The experience is not limited to the shopping mall. Schools and offices can order the tour, and the technology will be delivered to their doorstep. To learn more, visit: jvr360.co.il/en.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1
Attend an academic workshop bridging the gap between archaeologists and architects and visit the Ein Yael Archaeological Park to enjoy a guided tour. The workshop, “Prehistoric Constructions,” is open to the public and is free of charge, provided patrons register via hadas.goldeier@mail.huji.ac.il.
The discussions begin at 9 a.m. with a panel discussion on “Prehistoric Architecture throughout Time” and continue until the afternoon. An evening tour of Ein Yael closes the day.
The workshop is several days long, so if you’re interested, ask for the full list of panel discussions and locations. All lectures are in English. Ein Yael, which faces the Biblical Zoo, can be visited outside workshop hours.
This is just a good opportunity to enjoy a tour with experts. To learn more about the park, call (02) 645-1866 or visit einyael.co.il.
THURSDAY, MARCH 2
Jazz lovers will be happy to learn that The Jazz Community, a grassroots enterprise of people who cherish this musical form, offers VOD lectures that can be purchased online and watched in the comfort of your own home.
Ranging from New Orleans, where jazz mythically began at Congo Square, to sax player Dexter Gordon and jazz in South Africa, this is a great starting point for anyone who wants to learn more. NIS 30 per lecture.
The site is in Hebrew, English and Russian, but the lectures are mostly in Hebrew. See eventbuzz.co.il/lp/event/f264f. And allow 24 hours for the link to be sent to your inbox.
HEADS UP
Visit Besarabia (34 Ben-Yehuda St.) on Friday, March 3, and enjoy a double feature noise concert with Rovar17 (Hungary) and Re-Drum (Georgia) at 10 p.m. No admission price listed. Listen to the Rovar17 album Charlie Foxtrot online – havizaj.bandcamp.com/album/charlie-foxtrot – to get a feeling for the genre before making a decision.
Throwing a special party? Opening an art exhibition or a new bar? Bringing in a guest speaker to introduce a fascinating topic? Drop me a line at hagay_hacohen@yahoo.com and let In Jerusalem know about it. Send emails with “Jerusalem Highlights” in the subject line. Although all information is welcome, we cannot guarantee it will be featured in the column.
