City Notes: Free entrance to Beersheba culture centers for fire victims

By COMPILEDJULIE STEIGERWALD
A firefighter surveys the damage from a fire in Haifa (photo credit: REUTERS)
A firefighter surveys the damage from a fire in Haifa
(photo credit: REUTERS)
SOUTH
The Beersheba Municipality has announced that it will provide free admission to various cultural centers in the city this weekend (December 2-3) for residents of communities ravaged by the widespread fires that recently swept the country.
The Lunada Children’s Museum, the Carasso Science Park and the Negev Zoo are among facilities opening their doors to fire victims.
“The City of Beersheba and its residents join hands and support those residents [afflicted by fires] and wish them a swift return to routine,” the municipality said.
Tens of thousands of residents, mainly in the North, were evacuated and later permitted to return to their homes last week as blazes wreaked havoc across the country. More than 3,000 hectares of land were scorched and dozens of houses were incinerated by the flames, which spread due to dry temperatures and suspected arsonists.
NORTH
Northern youth give sweet thanks to Haifa-area firefighters
Youth groups affiliated with the humanitarian aid organization Latet in half a dozen communities in the Haifa area have reached out in a show of appreciation for dozens of firefighters who have been working ceaselessly to battle the surge of fires.
Youth from the predominantly northern Druse communities of Beit Jann, Kisra-Sumei, Karmiel, Hurfeish, Yarka and Maghar prepared cakes, cookies, pastries and an assortment of baked goods to hand out last weekend as a sweet gift of appreciation to emergency workers.
The youngsters handed out sweets and met with firefighters and rescue workers in fire and rescue stations in the region.
“Hugs, caring and consideration; it’s not a form of support that goes unappreciated,” said Haifa Fire and Rescue Authority spokesman Ori Tzibor. He lauded the youth’s gesture as a “type of painkiller after a week of intense fire fighting and days without sleep.
“It is absolutely heartwarming, and good to know someone is thinking about you. We are proud of the Latet youth, and we thank them,” he added.
Haifa hosts Arab food festival
Showcasing forgotten dishes from the Levant, downtown Haifa is set to hold a food festival next weekend celebrating the aromatic and eclectic cuisine of the Arab world.
Beginning on Thursday, December 7, and running through Saturday, December 9, the A-sham – Tastes and Stories from the Arab Kitchen festival will offer visitors tastings in downtown Haifa restaurants and pubs, culinary meet-ups, music and dance performances, cooking and craft workshops, lectures and more.
More than 45 leading chefs from the Arab sector, Muslims, Christians and Druse, along with Jewish chefs will work together to give their personal takes on traditional dishes from Arab food culture.
Held on the initiative of the Downtown Haifa Administration, the festival will be under the creative direction of 2014 MasterChef Israel winner Dr. Nof Atamna-Ismaeel from Baka al-Gharbiya.
A map detailing participating venues and events will be available in downtown Haifa during the event and at information points, including the city’s Merkaz-Hashmona railway station, Sha’ar Palmer Street and the Turkish Market.
CENTER
Jazz festival swings into Tel Aviv
The smooth sounds of jazz will swing into Tel Aviv next week for a three-day festival slated to draw in all those cool cats and daddy- os in the City that Never Sleeps.
Dozens of Israeli and international artists are set to perform in various concerts held at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque starting next Thursday, December 7, through Saturday, December 9.
The popular annual festival’s star-studded lineup this year includes Israel’s Albert Beger Quartet, Italian jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava, American jazz fusion artist Al Di Meola, Brazil’s Flavia Nascimento, the Shem Tov Levi Ensemble, Israeli Afro-Arabic-inspired band Quarter to Africa, Shefita – who has become popular in recent years for her Middle Eastern twist on covers of popular classics – and many more.
Ticket costs vary per concert, and discounts are available for Tel Aviv residents.
Ra’anana comedy show seeks to help kids fight cancer
In the spirit of laughter as the best medicine, a pair of top English- speaking Jewish comedians are partnering Saturday for an “evening of courage, caring and comedy” in Ra’anana to help children battling cancer.
Known for his hilarious oleh (new immigrant) antics, Israeli- American Benji Lovitt will host American stand-up comedian Elon Gold in a special benefit for the nonprofit organization Kids Kicking Cancer.
Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. at Beit Yad Lebanim and all proceeds will go toward the organization’s efforts to ease the pain of children fighting cancer and empower them through therapeutic martial arts.
General admission to the show costs NIS 150 and VIP tickets with preferred seating and a meet-and-greet after the performance costs NIS 250.