Out and about on Succot

With so many events planned for the holiday, it may be hard to decide what to do first.

By BARRY DAVIS
‘Cinderella’ at the Israeli Opera (photo credit: Yossi Zwecker)
‘Cinderella’ at the Israeli Opera
(photo credit: Yossi Zwecker)
As we gear up for the last leg of the holiday season, there is a seemingly endless number of events and activities on offer around the country for all ages, interests and preferences.
Whether it’s sit-back-and-enjoy stuff, down-and-dirty hands-on activities or fun things for children and all the family, there appears to be something for everyone throughout Succot.
For starters, the Tzlilei Yaldut Festival at the Holon Theater has lined up some high-quality entertainment and workshops for preschoolers through to teenagers, and their parents, from September 22 to 24. There is an intriguing acoustic show starring Sarit Hadad, and a multisensory hi-tech assisted iConcert slot that combines classical music with cutting-edge 3D technology. Add to that a master class for budding violinists, a session with Yehonatan Gefen based on his writing work for children and a wide variety of dance and other shows, and you have a pretty comprehensive package designed to keep most youngsters happy.For tickets and more information: (03) 502-3001 and www.hth.co.il.
If you live up north or fancy heading that way and nonmainstream theatrical entertainment is your thing, you should find tapping into this year’s Acre Festival program, which will run from September 21 to 24, an absorbing experience. The fourdayer takes place in the magnificently appointed Knights’ Halls, in the Old City of Acre, and accommodates a wide range of alternative theatrical offerings, as well as plenty of street performances, bazaars and pantomime-related activities from Israel and all over the world.
For tickets and more information: (04) 955-2541 and www.accofestival.co.il
There is also plenty to be had for the junior sector at the International Modi’in-Maccabim- Reut Circus Festival, which takes place September 22 to 24. The program includes circus entertainment, acrobatic shows, juggling and pantomime. There are plenty of free slots available over the three days, such as the Y Circus’s Gravita show, which combines acrobatics with special lighting effects, and the Caucasian Circus acrobatics package at the Amphitheater parking lot of the Rabin Municipal Library.For tickets and more information: (03) 966-6141 and www.hakartis.co.il
Holon, which over the last few years has become the national “children’s capital,” has also lined up some wholesome activities for the five-to-seven age group at the Children’s Museum. The Ushpizin program, which will take place September 22 to 24, comprises three slots that will take the junior audiences on a magical mystery tour around the world, with experiential items relating to Russia, Peru and Italy.For tickets and more information: (03) 650-3000 and www.childrensmuseum.org.il
And if you reckon your three- to eight-year-olds might enjoy some operatic endeavor, it might be a good idea to get them, and yourselves, over to the Israel Opera House in Tel Aviv for Children’s Opera Hour. This is the 13th edition of the annual juniors’ event, with child-friendly shows taking place on September 22 to 24 (10:30 a.m. daily), such as Rossini’s Cinderella and The Magic Flute by Mozart, as well as the Mozart’s Box of Surprises program.
The latter features two sisters who discover all sorts of enchanting characters in the world of opera, including figures from Mozart’s works.For tickets and more information: (03) 692-7777 and www.israelopera.co.il
If sports-induced adrenalin rushes are your cup of tea, the Hero Challenge obstacle race, which will take place in the Ben- Shemen Forest from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 20, should do the trick. The event will be presided over by Hamerotz Lamillion TV reality-show host Ron Shachar and will be divided into different levels of difficulty, including a special race for children. The competitors will tackle all manner of obstacles, such as crawling through pipes, scaling walls, crossing a mesh bridge and negotiating a tirestrewn surface.
To register for the obstacle race, go to: http://herochallenge.co.il/ or the Hero Israel Facebook page.
Just down the road, at Mevo Modi’in, on September 23, the public can enjoy the local country fair. The offerings feature workshops and activities for children, yoga and holistic healing workshops, arts stands and treks in the Ben-Shemen Forest with JNF guides. There will also be Carlebach-style, hassidic and alternative Jewish music shows.
The event will start at noon and end at 10 p.m.
For more information: 052-324- 0789
Local artists will also have a chance to introduce the general public to the fruits of their creative efforts at the “Wonders of Creation” exhibition, which will run at the Modi’in Heichal Hatarbut from September 22 to 24. The show will incorporate works from across the artistic spectrum, including sculpture, mosaics, ceramics, painting and photography.
For more information: (03) 972- 8999 and www.thm.org.il
Jerusalem is hosting the first International Symposium on Stone Sculpting at the First Station Compound. The event will run until September 30 and features 10 sculptors from Israel and abroad. The artists work on their creations daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in full view of the public.
The Smart Tour company is offering Segway and electric bicycle sculpture tours around the city.
In Binyamina and Givat Ada, the Yards and Creators arts festival, which will run from September 23 to 25, will enable the public to get a behind-the-scenes look at how 60 local artists go about their creative business. This is the 12th edition of the annual event at which artists from the two locations will open the doors of their studios and homes to the members of the public, who will be able to follow the artists’ creative processes from close up. The program runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the first two days, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the last day. There will also be a varied program of hands-on activities, as well as food stalls, lectures and guided tours.
For more information: (04) 628-8391/2
In Tel Aviv, there will be plenty of decibel-suffused musical entertainment on offer at the Gagarin Club on Salame Street as part of the Space Succa Festival.
The lineup of the event, which takes place September 20-21, includes some of the loudest and most energized bands around, such as Tree, Sumo Elevator, Farthest South, The Expedition and Mambas.For more information: 054-329-6596
On September 25, cyclists can get into some serious pedaling around Tel Aviv at the Elite Turkish Round-Tel Aviv event. There are three routes of varying degrees of difficulty for cyclists: a 43-km.
circuit for experienced riders; a 24-km. route for sporty families; and a 9-km. route for families who are not looking to sweat too much. There will also be a 24-km. roller-blade slot.
For more information: www.sovevtlv.org.il
If you’re looking to get away from the urban rat race and are heading south for some spiritual chilling out and physical release, the Rising in Love Zorba and Buddha Festival at the Desert Ashram in the Arava should meet all the requirements. The festival takes place from September 25 to 28 and has an attractive program of music shows, dance, meditations and workshops on a whole slew of alternative disciplines.
For tickets and more information: 052-544-3349 and www.zorba.co.il