The Science Garden Museum of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot is offering solar-related activities for children this month and next.
By BARRY DAVISLe Relais 311(photo credit: courtesy)Here comes the sunIn case you hadn’t noticed, there’s plenty of sun about these days – which makes it a good time to explore solar matters. The Science Garden Museum of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot is offering a range of solar-related activities for children this month and next.On Mondays and Thursdays, until the end of July, the program includes sessions such as “Over the Rainbow – The Colors of the Rainbow” and “From Sunlight to Fire – Radiation Concentration,” as well as guided tours of the museum’s Ecosphere exhibits.Next month, there will be daily morning and afternoon activities, with guided tours of the garden and ecosphere, and scientific demonstrations of such topics as cold and heat, and heat conductors.There will also be weekly sessions relating to the sun and radiation (for children aged five and over) and weekly performances of the Knowledge and Nonsense science-based show (Wednesdays, for the four-to-seven age group).More information: (08) 934-4401 and http://davidson.weizmann.ac.il/science-garden Glass in every formLast week, the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv opened the new Israel Glass 2011 exhibition with works by some 67 local artists.The show incorporates 100 creations made by artists from a wide range of professional backgrounds and areas of specialization, including graphic design, industrial design, sculpture and painting, from seasoned professionals to new graduates of the country’s top art schools.The exhibits are divided into a number of categories.These include “Man and Nature,” presenting glass as an inorganic substance which, nonetheless, offers a vehicle for exploring different facets of nature.The “Human Figure” section offers intriguing portrayals of the human body via the special textures of glass; while the “Landscapes of Emotion” category looks at childhood memories, personal thoughts and experiences, and individual life stories.Other areas addressed in the exhibition include the challenges and advantages of working with glass; practical and decorative uses of the materials; and cultural, political, ethnic and temporal approaches to glass.The exhibition closes on November 15. More information: (03) 641-5244 or www.eretzmuseum.org.il Feast of art The forthcoming Maccabi Games for youth from Jewish community centers in North America open on Tuesday (closing August 3). Besides the sporting disciplines, the event will be marked by dozens of workshops and sessions in a wide range of the arts, as part of the ArtFest program.The lineup features some big names from the music industry on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as leading figures in painting, dance, photography and communications.The celebrity encounters include sessions with American Idol crooner Bret Loewenstern, members of the Israeli hip hop outfit Hadag Nahash and pop vocalist Rona Keinan.The non-musical side of the ArtFest program includes a photography workshop with Ziv Koren, a communications session with Gili Shem-Tov, and a workshop with renowned caricaturist and street wall painter Rami Meiri.The ArtFest week will culminate with a closing event at the amphitheater of the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, with a presentation of artistic works, music and dance.Getting to grips with grapes The Tabor Winery, at Kfar Tavor, is offering hands-on activities as part of its Family Grape Harvest program, which kicks off on July 24 and ends in the last week of August.Members of the public will set off daily at 10 a.m., from the Visitors’ Center armed with secateurs and baskets and, after a brief explanation, will start picking grapes. The families will then put their harvest to good use by making wine for themselves, with guidance from the winery staff. Each family will also receive a personalized label to put on their bottles.The hardworking harvesters will be treated to a tour of the winery, a movie about the place, and tastings of wine and olive oil.Further details: (04) 676-0444
