Passover family roster

Where to go and what to do during the holiday.

By ORI J. LENKINSKI
The new Israeli family (photo credit: RINAT GILBOA)
The new Israeli family
(photo credit: RINAT GILBOA)
Passover is right around the corner, which for many means family time. The weather is warm, kids are out of school, and special events are plentiful. The following is a handpicked list of fun activities to enjoy during the coming week.
The Stone in the Galilee International Sculpture Symposium, now in its 24th year, will display the work of 14 Israeli sculptors. Based in Ma’alot Tarshicha, the event is open to the public and is free of charge.
Beyond taking in the art, guests are invited to workshops, tours of the town, wine tasting and more.
Also celebrating 24 years is the Haifa International Children’s Theater Festival. This year, the program will include the premiere of a new production based on Hanoch Levin’s Uncle Max’s Journey.
Outside of the theater halls, visitors can also enjoy performances by street artists from Israel and abroad.
As part of Bank Hapoalim’s initiative Poalim for Culture and Nature in Israel, 50 sites and museums across the country will open their doors free of charge. The long list includes the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, The Haifa Zoo, The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens and the Holon Design Museum.
The annual Teatroneto Festival will take place in historical Jaffa.
One of the oldest and most influential theater festivals in the country, Teatroneto will present nine one-man-shows, eight of which are original Israeli productions. The plays were selected from more than 100 applications and represent the brightest stars in playwriting and acting.
The Janco-Dada Museum is a staple destination in the scenic artist village of Ein Hod. During the holiday, the museum will present the comedic play Grandma Pashka’s Circus. Performances are open to the entire family. Dance workshops and tours through the museum will also be open to the public.
For those seeking some physical activity, the Hevel Modi’in area will be rife with sporty happenings that include rappelling, archery and a scavenger hunt. Each event will take place in a different location.
For music lovers, Mini Israel in Latrun will host Matti Caspi and Eviatar Banai in a joint performance.
A collaboration between Tzavta Theater and Mini Israel, Tzavta Amphi Park will include performances by Shalom Hanoch and Berry Sakharof.
For those with a green thumb, there’s an opportunity to pick flowers to your heart’s content. The nurit flower, now in bloom, will be ready for picking during Passover in Kedma, an hour’s drive from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.
The Ministry for Development of the Negev and Galilee will host a number of activities during the holiday, such as tours of agricultural centers, meditation and hiking and an open-air market.
In south Tel Aviv, Hatachana will host an exhibition of miniature cars and trains. More than 100 mini Mercedes from the past century, as well as a kilometer of train tracks and an array of rare vehicles, will be on display.
The Beit She’an National Park will open a portal into the past this Passover. A celebration of Roman history, the event will include performances, reenactments and a historical market.
The Yad Ben-Zvi Research Institute will host a number of tours throughout Jerusalem focused on spring and the holiday season.
Expert tour guides will show participants hidden secrets of the city on these mystical adventures.
The tours are designed to explore theater, religious practice, architecture and more.
For the first time in more than five years, the Batsheva Dance Company will present Ohad Naharin’s chamber piece Max at the Suzanne Dellal Center in Tel Aviv. Another Naharin classic, Mamootot, will also be presented during the holiday.
Danced in full light in the round, Mamootot is one of Naharin’s most emblematic works. Batsheva will continue to run Kamuyot, a dance performance for the entire family.