Editor’s note: Due to the ongoing security situation, events listed below may be postponed or canceled. Check before booking, and stay safe.
FRIDAY, JUNE 12
Visit the Knesset Museum and learn a thing or two about Israeli democracy. Built by architect Reuven Avram for the Fromine family, the building housed the parliament from December 1949 to August 1966.
Patrons will be able to see a life-sized sculpture of David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, during a house debate, and learn about other famous leaders and speakers who shaped Israeli society. There is even a display of the various dishes served in the Knesset cafeteria during those early decades of the state.
24 King George St. Hours: Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. NIS 10; free for IDF soldiers. The museum has a shelter. Patrons must pre-book a guided tour; English-language tours are available. Visit museum.knesset.gov.il (Hebrew site) for more.
SATURDAY, JUNE 13
Step into the Jerusalem Cinematheque and explore the cosmos with the final night of “Beyond the Edge,” a series of films about space. Tonight, viewers will enjoy Project Hail Mary, adapted to the screen from the 2021 same-titled science fiction novel by Andy Weir. The movie stars Ryan Gosling as the sole survivor on a spaceship tasked with saving life on Earth.
8:30 p.m. NIS 43. About 2.5 hours long. 11 Hebron Rd. Call (02) 565-4333 to book.
SUNDAY, JUNE 14
Watch the 2024 horror cult film I Saw the TV Glow. Directed by Jane Schoenbrun and rooted in the subculture of Fandom, the movie follows two teenagers who find solace by watching together fictional heroes combat the super-villain, Mr. Melancholy. The lines between what’s on the TV screen and real life begin to blur and terrify as they get older.
8 p.m. Cinema by Sam Spiegel, 3 Menora St. In English, about 1.5 hours. NIS 35. Visit cinema.jsfs.co.il to book.
MONDAY, JUNE 15
Attend a riveting lecture by art historian Irvin Ungar about the life and times of Polish-Jewish artist Arthur Szyk.
Famous for his unique artistic version of the Passover Haggadah, Szysk was a well-regarded master of visual storytelling. His dramatic illustrations, pointedly decrying Hitler and Nazi totalitarianism, were used in major US publications to help in the information war against the Nazis during World War II.
6:30 p.m. In English. Bayit Balev, 35 Ben-Zvi Blvd. Free upon preregistration. Call David Geffen at 050-215-2851 to book.
TUESDAY, JUNE 16
Visit Intercom, a joint exhibition by Divi Barel and Niv Gafni at the Musrara art school. Curated by Ravit Harari, this exhibition is a meeting point between sound and installation. Impaled speakers, and bomb shelters that impossibly open to a mountain range, are among the imaginative, unusual scenes on view here.
22 Shivtai Yisrael St., 4th floor. Hours: Sunday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Until Thursday, June 18. Free.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17
View Human Face – Place Face, an exhibition of paintings by Holocaust survivor Yitzhak Pressburger, now 92. Born in Bratislava, Pressburger survived the Holocaust and attempted to come to pre-state Israel on the Exodus with his family. Eventually, he built a new life at Kibbutz Kfar Ruppin, Tel Aviv, and Paris. He was in the first class of artists to graduate from Tel Aviv’s Avni Institute.
Pressburger’s latest exhibition focuses on Jerusalem and its inhabitants.
Menachem Begin Heritage Center, 6 Nahon St. Hours: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Free. Call (02) 565-2020 to pre-book your visit.
THURSDAY, JUNE 18
Enjoy a bowl of Korean Ramyeon, an ideal comfort food for these uneasy times, made by Eunsun Lim and her husband Wanbyung Chae. “In Korea, there is a profound cultural concept known as ‘jeong.’ It signifies a deep bond of affection, a culture of sharing love, and hosting others with utmost sincerity and devotion,” Lim explained.
In this spirit, patrons are requested to pay as much as they wish; if someone needs a free meal, they don’t have to pay. The couple shares the space of The Table cafeteria, inside the Caspari Center for their business; reservations are recommended. Today is the last day of this offer before they close for the summer.
55 Hanevi’im St. Hours: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. No kashrut certificate; however, patrons who observe kashrut can start the cooking of their own food in the cafeteria’s kitchen. There are vegan and meat-free options; disposable bowls and utensils are provided upon request. To book, visit @korean_table_israel or text, in English, 058-414-2586.
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.