Editor’s note: Due to the current security situation, events listed below may be postponed or canceled. Check before booking, and stay safe.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16
Visit the Tea House gallery at Hansen House to experience Spirits, a new sound-work by Daniel Kiczales. The noon artist’s talk includes a meeting with Kiczales and curator Amir Bolzman. The work is a vocal ceremony for a male choir, based around the historical trauma of the 1995 assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. First shown during the October Manofim Art Festival last year, the work is presented until Wednesday, February 28. Hours are Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 14 Gedalyahu Alon St. Hebrew discussion. Free admission.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17
Attend a live Metropolitan Opera, beamed from New York to Jerusalem. Watch Anthony Davis’s X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X with baritone Will Liverman as Malcolm X, and tenor Victor Ryan Robertson as Nation of Islam founder Elijah Muhammad, in a musical and dramatic exploration of Black history and identity.
Born as Malcolm Little in 1925, Malcolm X was a radical Black leader in the US. His conversion to the form of Islam preached by Muhammad, which some argue is a form of Black supremacy, was followed by his conversion to Sunni Islam in 1964 after the two parted ways.
There is a reason Malcolm changed his surname from Little to X. As he saw it, Little was an English surname that a European person forced on his enslaved forefathers. The X (unknown) stands for his African family name which was lost due to the North Atlantic slave trade.
The history behind the “X” is included in the opera. American religious leader Muhammad asks Malcolm “Who will you be?” To which Malcolm replies: “My name means I was a slave.” To this Muhammad says, “An X will stand until God returns, to speak a name that will be yours.” 7:30 p.m. English only. NIS 170 per ticket. 11 Hebron St. Call (02) 565-4333 to book.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18
Attend a Baroque concert by the Canadian Ensemble Caprice under the baton of Matthias Maute as they perform at the YMCA alongside the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra and the Cecilia Ensemble. The 8 p.m. performance includes Heinrich Biber’s Requiem in F Minor; Johann Heinrich Schmelzer’s Serenata con altre arie; Antonio Lotti’s Crucifixus á 8, and more. 26 King David St. NIS 130 per ticket. Call (02) 671-5888 to book.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19
Watch Trip of Compassion, a 2017 Hebrew documentary about how those suffering from PTSD are helped by the drug MDMA, commonly known as “ecstasy.” Director Gil Karni followed patients at the Be’er Ya’acov Mental Health Center with his camera for several years after obtaining their consent. The film offers insights into who they were before the painful experience occurred, as well as what benefits the psychoactive substance and therapy offered them in their healing process.
The 8 p.m. screening is followed by a virtual discussion with Karni at 9:30 p.m. Admission is on a “pay what you may” basis. Register online via www.yonatannir.com/trip. The film is followed by a Hebrew discussion.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20
Watch Anna Ziegler’s 2015 play Photograph 51 in the Hebrew translation by Eli Bijaoui performed by the Cameri Theater. The first show is at 5 p.m., the second at 8:30 p.m. – both at the Jerusalem Theatre.
Netta Garti plays Rosalind Franklin, the X-ray crystallographer who was crucial in the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA and was overlooked when the official history of that discovery was written. Originally starring Nicole Kidman, the 95-minute play won several awards.
Garti noted that Franklin died of cancer when she was 37, likely due to her intense work with X-rays. In that sense, the play redeems her memory, the actress observed. NIS 110 to NIS 220 per ticket. Call (02) 560-5755 to book. 20 Marcus St. Hebrew performance shown with Hebrew subtitles.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21
Piano is at the center of a special back-to-back evening at Mazkeka. Listen to Darya Mosenzon play works by Jewish composers from North Africa, such as Maurice El Medioni and Albert Suissa. She will be followed by Yehezkel Raz, who will play the piano and synthesizer.
As Raz told Amit Weiner in his podcast How to Succeed in Music, the synthesizer appeals to him in a very emotional way. Raz, who has some three million monthly listeners on Spotify, often composes music for theater and film. Come hear why he is so highly regarded. 9 p.m. NIS 60 per ticket on pre-booking, NIS 80 at the door. 3 Shoshan St. Call (02) 582-2090 to book.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22
Visit Cafe Merkaz and enjoy open mic night for acoustic bands, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. 41 Hanevi’im St. Contact Tracey Shipley for more info at 054-810-8918.
Throwing a special party? Opening an art exhibition or a new bar? Bringing in a guest speaker to introduce a fascinating topic? Drop 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.
