Nightlife: Jerusalem after sundown

The familiar aromas of fish and spices somehow vanish to make way for a whiff of alcohol and the misty fume of narghilas.

By ORRI J. AVRAHAM
PATRONS CONVERGE on the Beer Bazaar in the Mahaneh Yehuda market, also known as the shuk, in downtown Jerusalem (photo credit: TOVA MOSKOWITZ)
PATRONS CONVERGE on the Beer Bazaar in the Mahaneh Yehuda market, also known as the shuk, in downtown Jerusalem
(photo credit: TOVA MOSKOWITZ)
Those who have paid close attention to Jerusalem in recent years have borne witness to a remarkable transformation in its local night scene. Cobbled streets and narrow alleyways once largely empty after sunset are now lined with tables and are filled with the sound of booming music and cheerful chatter. Dozens of venues that have cropped up like mushrooms after rainfall over the past two years alone compete for the attention of 30,000 students and, in so doing, are brewing a peculiar brand of recreational culture that is distinctly Jerusalem.
Even so, word has not yet reached the rest of the world of this extraordinary revival. Foreign visitors looking for a taste of Israeli nocturnal culture will invariably turn to the “city that never sleeps,” passing Jerusalem for a sightseeing destination that is much mellower and more traditional. Even among Israelis, it seems, this notion of their capital remains largely unchanged.
It was in this challenge that Ezra Rabinowitz, 25, had found an unexpected business opportunity and, perhaps even more importantly, a way to offer an invaluable service to his city. Fresh out of the IDF, an enthusiastic Rabinowitz set out to spread the gospel of Jerusalem’s new nighttime persona to Israelis and foreigners alike through guided tours of his own design.
“I wanted people to discover the new Jerusalem; the young, bold and passionate side of the city that most people haven’t seen yet,” he explains. “The idea was to bring visitors to the hidden gems of local culture that they would never arrive at just wandering around downtown.”
The Jerusalem Nights project thus came into being a little over a year ago and has so far operated dozens of walking tours focusing on an exclusive selection of bars and restaurants selected by Rabinowitz, each with its own character and zing.
One such venue, quite new yet already somewhat of a local institution, is the Beer Bazaar in the Mahaneh Yehuda market. Far from your common neighborhood bar, the place rumbles on an ordinary weeknight with the intermingled sound of several languages. The bar’s animated owner, Avi Moskowitz, will most likely be spotted at some table, engaged in a lively conversation with German tourists; meanwhile, one of the waiters will present incoming customers with a platter of their famous specialty food or a tray of complimentary beer samples, including their own Hahatul Hashamen (The Fat Cat) and Doda Shelcha (Your Auntie) brews, available on tap.
In fact, the many beers and wines on offer at the Beer Bazaar are all products of Israel, brought in from the far reaches of the Negev and the Golan Heights.
“The Israeli variety of beers has been flourishing in recent years, including many independent small-scale breweries,” Tova Moskowitz, Avi’s daughter and manager of the bar, excitedly points out. “We are always delighted to see customers surprised to find out just how good a local draft beer turns out to be, and we dream of a day when Israeli beer will make a name for itself globally.”
Film director Quentin Tarantino, Tova proudly recounts, was one recent visitor to have made that discovery.
The Beer Bazaar is just one piece of the intricate mosaic that is the Mahaneh Yehuda market after dark. The same bustling shuk that reverberates by day with the calls of vendors to passing shoppers undergoes nothing short of a Cinderella-style transfiguration after sunset into one of Jerusalem’s most popular recreation spots. In every nook and cranny of the market, where fresh vegetables glistened in their stands just a few hours before, bartenders scurry to keep up with the influx of voracious clientele.
The familiar aromas of fish and spices somehow vanish to make way for a whiff of alcohol and the misty fume of narghilas.
Downtown, meanwhile, particularly the area surrounding Nahalat Shiva and so-called Cats’ Square, remains the historic epicenter of Jerusalem nightlife.
Whereas some would argue that the pub scene has become stagnant in this section of town, having undergone virtually no refreshing change since its emergence a little over a decade ago, the keener observer will note otherwise. Even here, a slew of cheeky young entrepreneurs are trying out cool new concepts that challenge the conventional take on evening entertainment.
On Ben-Sira Street, right around the corner from the famous hummus joint bearing the same name, the quirky Horko Pub opened a year ago and has already gained much attention by dint of its distinctiveness. Its two founding partners, Benny Doron and Itamar Shai, had long dreamt of opening their own business and letting their imagination run wild. Reluctant to accept prevailing notions of what a pub ought to look like, they had pictured theirs as of a cross between a neighborhood hangout and a lively community center.
“We’ve already got our regular customers who come here with a book or laptop computer in the early evening,” relates Doron. “One already admitted he ‘felt more at home here than in his own apartment.’” One would certainly be forgiven for preferring the Horko Pub, with its homey feel, to one’s own living room.
Its relatively low-key location, calm folksy music and low prices make for just the right ambience for an after-work chitchat over beer.
But the two dreamers also envisioned their fledgling pub as a potent platform for promoting up-and-coming artists of all kinds – as much a cultural hub as a place to simply get a drink. The interior walls are duly covered with an eclectic assortment of artwork by aspiring new painters and Bezalel art students, put on display for two weeks at a time. Different nights of the week feature an open microphone for poetry readings or storytelling marathons; and several funky new bands, fresh out of their garages, have been making good use of an all-out invitation to come and play on stage any evening.
All told, it appears that Jerusalem has finally become a worthy nightlife destination in its own right, bringing thousands of young people out into its streets, even on one of its chilliest nights.
As far as the older crowd is concerned, however, the city remains manifestly wanting in providing stimulation for the more refined palate. Against this backdrop, a rare new establishment that opened two months ago now stands out like a jewel. Situated right across from the Mamilla mall, it is poised to attract both sophisticated locals and curious tourists.
Aharon Luria, an American immigrant and self-described wine aficionado, opened his Red & White bar, keenly aware of the vacuum he was filling. His place can only be described as a friendly neighborhood boutique bar.
Red & White offers an impressive range of Israeli boutique wines, of which customers can treat themselves to a taste through the wine sampling machine. There, a friendly Luria, no doubt an indispensable part of the intimate vibe inherent to the place, happily welcomes a conversation over two glasses of exquisite red wine and some delectable goat cheese. He will otherwise be found cooking one of his specialty fish dishes in the adjacent kitchen to satisfy the hungry customers. Invariably, soft jazz plays in the background to turn the whole scene into something out of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.
Viewed from a distance, the blooming nightlife of Jerusalem reveals an undercurrent of entrepreneurship driven by a genuine desire to improve the city in all respects.
“This is Zionism version 2016,” Rabinowitz declares.
“Half a century ago, a man like Avi Moskowitz would have founded his own kibbutz. Today, his passion came out in the form of the Beer Bazaar over at the shuk.”


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