Editor’s note: Due to the ongoing security situation, events listed below may be postponed or canceled. Check before booking, and stay safe.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6
Watch the 2023 thriller Woman of the Hour, about a serial killer (Rodney Alcala, played by Daniel Zovatto), who murdered several women – and ended up on the 1970s game show The Dating Game.
The movie, directed by Anna Kendrick, promises to do two things: tell a compelling tale about how to catch a killer and explore how misogyny works on a large scale within a seemingly open society. As Margaret Atwood famously said, men are afraid women will laugh at them; women are afraid men will murder them.
8:30 p.m. at the Jerusalem Cinematheque, 11 Hebron Rd. NIS 41 per ticket. In English. Call (02) 565-4333 to book.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7
Take the family to watch the play The Gift Train, meant for those aged four years and older. This production depicts a grandmother (Natalia Rosenthal) and a grandfather (Avraham Cohen) who create a series of wonderful gifts for their grandchildren. Each opened gift is, in reality, a mini puppet show with a song sure to delight the audience.
11 a.m. Hebrew only. NIS 45 per ticket. Hakaron Theater, Liberty Bell Park. Call (02) 561-8514 to book.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8
Support Jerusalem bookstores by visiting Holzer Books (91 Jaffa St.); The Little Prince (31 Jaffa St.); and/or The Book Gallery (6 Shatz St.).
Readers from Philadelphia, take note: The stained glass windows designed by Louise D. Kayser for the Har Zion Temple are explored in a book offered at The Book Gallery. Written by Rose Goldstein, Light from Our Past is available for $35.
Readers who are curious about mysticism might enjoy Sufism and Surrealism by Syrian poet Adonis [Ali Ahmad Said Esber]. This volume is offered at The Educational Bookshop (19 Salah Eddin St.) for NIS 100. Pick any book you like and take it to HaMifal (See Tuesday for details).
MONDAY, DECEMBER 9
Attend Ruach Yam (Jerusalem Spirit), a three-day contemporary dance festival showcasing current works by capital-based dancers. Visit Machol Shalem Dance House to watch an impressive performance offered via virtual reality glasses (Miba’ad, today at 8 p.m.) and Sounds Alive (Tuesday, December 10, 8 p.m.).
Performed by Yulia Mejetskaya and Yasmin Gariv, the work explores how war impacts women. Both dancers perform with long threads connecting their eyelashes and, due to the movements in the show, these fibers come apart, Ori Lenkinski wrote in her review for The Jerusalem Post.
Lips, by Tami Yitzhaki, a performance with a multitude of languages spoken on stage as the two dancers attempt to engage each other, is also worth considering (Wednesday, December 11, 8 p.m.).
Machol Shalem Dance House, 3 Haparsa St. NIS 65 per evening. The program includes more performances; visit yam.macholshalem.co.il to learn more and to book.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10
Join Jerusalem Reads, a capital-based reading group that gathers each Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at HaMiffal. Patrons get a quiet space to read and relax in – and a discount for a cup of coffee and a baked good.
This is not a guided group; no books are assigned, and there is no discussion. Patrons can read whatever they desire in a pleasant setting while hanging out with like-minded book lovers.
5 p.m. to 7 p.m. 3 Hama’aravim St. Free.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11
Attend a free screening of the documentary Full Support at the Van Leer Institute Jerusalem and meet director Michal Cohen for a follow-up discussion during the Jerusalem Women’s Film Festival. The film and the talk are in Hebrew. The hour-long movie centers on a woman’s relationship with her chest and was filmed in a Jaffa brassiere store.
6 p.m. Sign up via www.vanleer.org.il. For the entire program, visit www.jwff.co.il. The festival ends on Friday, December 13.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12
Be part of a birthday celebration at the Jerusalem Theatre when you take your seat at The Maestro Jubilee. This festive concert by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, in honor of maestro Julian Rachlin’s 50th birthday, features Beethoven’s Triple Concerto and Mahler’s Titan.
7:30 p.m. Two hours with one intermission. NIS 150 per ticket. 20 Marcus St. Call (02) 561-1498 to book.
Throwing a special event? Opening an art exhibition or a new bar? Bringing in a guest speaker to introduce a fascinating topic? Email hagay_hacohen@yahoo.com and let In Jerusalem know about it. Write “Jerusalem Highlights” in the subject line. Although all information is welcome, we cannot guarantee it will be featured in the column.
