Editor’s note: Due to the ongoing operation Roaring Lion this week’s column will mostly offer highlights that can be enjoyed from the relative safety of the nearest bomb shelter. Follow the instructions of home front command and stay safe.
FRIDAY, MARCH 20
As world leaders attempt to deal with the hot potato of Iran’s Islamic Republic, readers can treat themselves to an edible hot potato at Wow Potato – Juice and Kumpir. Kumpir is a Balkan variant of a baked potato, usually split in the middle and filled with butter and cheese, with various toppings.
John Gerard grew the vegetables used by the chef who made the meals enjoyed by Queen Elizabeth I. He noted in 1597 that a potato can be eaten “roasted... boiled... or dressed any other way by the hand of some cunning in cookery.”
125 Agrippas St. NIS 35 per portion. Kosher.
SATURDAY, MARCH 21
Take a little time off from the news and enjoy some of the best productions of the Habima Theater now freely available online. These include such classics as The Merchant of Venice, performed at the reconstructed historical Globe Theatre in London and filmed in 2012; and the Hebrew musical The King and the Cobbler. Some other productions to consider are The Miser; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; and Waiting for Godot.
Visit: shorturl.at/0Dw2P
SUNDAY, MARCH 22
Visit HaTav Hashmini, Jerusalem’s longstanding record store, and pick up a copy of A Bit of Simplicity. A reprint of the 2014 world music hit, the album is by cellist Hadas Kleinman and oud player Aviv Bahar.
Don’t own a record player or speakers. Or an amp? This is the right place to buy all these things and return to a time when your listening was not ruined by online ads.
Readers looking for a bit more bite might pick up Operation Doomsday. The first record released by MF Doom (the late Daniel Dumile). Born in London, Dumile was inspired by the comic book villain Doctor Doom (Victor Von Doom). In the comics, the bad guy wears an iron mask – so did the rapper when he sang.
12 Shamai St. Sunday to Thursday 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Call (02) 656-8831 for more. NIS 139 for A Bit of Simplicity NIS 189 for Operation Doomsday.
MONDAY, MARCH 23
Read the 1942 classic How to Cook a Wolf by M. F. K. Fisher. The slim volume is that very rare thing, a practical work for those who want to feed themselves while a war is being waged all around them (back then, WW II), and a precisely written, erudite work about assimilating sustenance and comprehending what is taking place. Readers who have a public library card may read it for free via the Libby app.
How to Cook a Wolf, $9.72 on Kindle, and free at libbyapp.com/.
TUESDAY, MARCH 24
The world might be a hot mess, but the Venice Biennale will open on Saturday, May 9, under the theme of In Minor Keys. Originally curated by Koyo Kouoh, this international art event will include works by Belu-Simion Fainaru at the Israeli pavilion (the work is titled The Rose of Nothingness) and – perhaps surprisingly – Russia’s return to its usual pavilion under the title of The Tree Is Rooted in the Sky. Learn more about the politics, dynamics, and even art in this global happening with art scholar and curator Smadar Sheffi. Titled “Minor Keys and Alarming Sounds,” this online Hebrew talk will bring you up to speed in time for your own visit.
7 p.m. NIS 135 per person. Visit forms.gle/CPabgMa3ZFbMVcE49 for more (Hebrew online form).
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25
Enjoy an evening concert of the Eva Trio at the Muslala balcony and unwind with a fusion of Arab, Persian, and Sufi music.
8:30 p.m. 97 Jaffa Rd. NIS 30 per ticket. Call (02) 999-6016 for more.
THURSDAY, MARCH 26
Try to “lift things heavy as redemption” at Yehu Yaron’s performance at Mazkeka. A noted Israeli writer of poetic rock ballads, his opening line is a nod to one of his songs. Yaron will no doubt delight patrons in need of some solace during our “rockets’ red glare, bombs bursting in air” times.
NIS 80 per ticket. 3 Shoshan St. Call (02) 582-2090 for more.
Throwing a special event? Opening an art exhibition or a new bar? Bringing in a guest speaker to introduce a fascinating topic? Email hagay_hacohen@yahoo.com and let In Jerusalem know about it. Write “Jerusalem Highlights” in the subject line. Although all information is welcome, we cannot guarantee it will be featured in the column.