By COMPILEDJULIE STEIGERWALDCelebrate senior citizens as part of Tel Aviv’s Retirees’ Week on June 17-24(photo credit: HANUCH GRAZITSKI)NORTHThe Haifa Municipality is calling for submissions by July 18 to the city’s 23rd annual International Cartoon Contest.Prospective contestants are encouraged to submit works that relate to a main theme of technological innovation or a second free-range category that relates to the themes of parties and celebrations. Each participating cartoonist is limited to three entries in the first category and two in the second.The main competition theme includes subcategories that reflect the subjects of new medical devices and technologies, robotics, artificial intelligence and educational and manufacturing innovation. A $500 cash prize will be awarded to the first-place winner while the runner-up will receive a $400 award. In addition, one participant will be awarded the $180 Haifa Mayor’s Special Award Prize. A first-place prize of $300 and a second place prize of $200 will be awarded in the “Let’s Party” secondary contest.Entry forms for the event, which the municipality hails as a “platform for high-level and professional cartoonists,” are available at www.haifa.muni.il/English/ PublishingImages/English2017.jpg.CENTER Tel Aviv hails senior citizens The White City is due to pay special recognition to its elder generation of residents by celebrating them in “Retirees’ Week” June 17 to 24.As part of the 16th annual tribute week for Tel Aviv’s senior citizens and pensioners, the city will host various cultural events, including shows, concerts, experiential tours, health-related activities and gatherings to boost morale among the demographic and provide opportunities for social engagement.The week’s musical program, with events at the Cameri Theater and Habima Theater, includes a set of opera solos by songwriter Ehud Manor, the musical comedy A Yiddishe Mama and a performance of Italian and French songs dubbed From Rome to Paris – and Everything in Between. Experiential tours include visits to the Tel Aviv Diamond Exchange and a hummus walking tour in Jaffa. Health awareness events scheduled for June 18 and 20 will take place under the auspices of doctors and lifestyle advisers at the Tel Aviv Jaffa Gymnasium. There will be special entrance prices for seniors this week at the Israel Museum, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and the Nahum Gutman Museum.A special film screening at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque will be available for a discounted price to senior citizens. For more information call (03) 728-0780 or (03) 728-0787.German playwright Falk Richter takes a bow Critically acclaimed German playwright, director and actor Falk Richter arrived in Israel last week to conduct a master class on the performing arts.Hosted by the German Goethe-Institut in Israel, the 47-year-old Hamburg native held stage workshops in Tel Aviv May 25 to 28.The three-day event for actors explored the subjects of identity, belonging and heritage. The workshop fused a combination of Falk’s works and observations with the materials of aspiring Israeli directors.Richter, who has served as director in residence at the Schaubühne in Berlin, has also worked freelance at theaters such as the Burgtheater in Vienna, Schauspielhaus Hamburg, Schauspielhaus Zurich, Salzburger Festspiele, Vienna States Opera, Ruhrtriennale, Theatre National Brussels, Royal National Theatre Oslo and Frankfurt Opera.Richter’s works have been translated into more than 25 languages and are produced across the world. His latest production, Fear, deals with the phenomenon of neo-fascism in modern society, as well as issues of identity in terms of local and global nationality.The play was met with criticism in Germany as the country deals with the crisis of the mass influx of immigrants.SOUTH BGU to celebrate student day in BeershebaBen-Gurion University of the Negev is gearing up for its annual summer bash for students in Beersheba June 6 to 8 while classes are out of session.The Student Fest extravaganza is due to include concerts by top Israeli musicians, pool parties, food and beverage stands and more. The artistic lineup includes Daniela Spector, Hadag Nahash, Moshe Peretz, Mosh Ben-Ari, Static and BenEl and Berry Sakharof.Tickets at the door will be available at a student price of NIS 70 and NIS 120 for guests. Entrance is limited to those aged 18 and up.European skateboarding contest rolls into Ashdod Top local skate shop teams from Europe and Israel went up against each other in Ashdod last Wednesday (May 24) as part of the Vans Shop Riot competition.In addition to Israel, the pan-European skateboarding competition series this year includes stops in UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Switzerland, Benelux, Estonia and Scandinavia.At a local level, each country sees the top shop teams battling it out for one day in one of their best skateparks for a shot at an all-expenses-paid trip to the contest finals in Milan in October.