The Jerusalem-based Jewish People Policy Institute, which will next year celebrate its 20th anniversary, was among the first to congratulate President-elect Isaac Herzog on his decisive victory in the presidential election. It’s not really surprising that JPPI was a front-line runner among the thousands of messages received by Herzog and his wife Michal from organizations, institutions and ordinary individuals from all over the world.
The JPPI is an independent offshoot of the Jewish Agency, of which Herzog is still chairman until taking up the presidency of the state on July 9.
According to Michal Herzog, who is the director of the Jerusalem-headquartered Wohl Foundation, “we were swamped with congratulatory messages.”
JPPI President Prof. Yedidia Stern wrote:
“Mr. Herzog is singularly well suited for the two main tasks currently facing the State of Israel and the Jewish people: promoting cohesion between the different sectors of Israeli society and strengthening the relationship between Israel and the Jewish communities of the Diaspora.
“The trajectory of Herzog’s personal life and public service career; the legacy of his father, Israel’s sixth President, and of his grandfather, a chief rabbi of Israel; and Herzog’s own most recent position as chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel – all have prepared him for the unifying leadership role that he has been chosen to fill. By virtue of his warm heart and winning personality, Herzog will bring the President’s House the talent and gravitas necessary to the work of healing the rifts within our society.
“The JPPI family, and co-chairs Ambassador Dennis Ross and Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, embrace the president-elect – his success is our success.”
■ AMONG THE noted residents of Jerusalem is retired Supreme Court judge Elyakim Rubinstein, who is so greatly liked and admired by his colleagues in academia, public service and private practice, that several of them came together to produce a tribute book in his name under the auspices of Bar-Ilan University, although Rubinstein on retirement from the bench, joined the Hebrew University’s Faculty of Law. The book, comprising two volumes, contains essays from past and present Supreme Court judges as well as from leading law experts within academia and beyond. The book, on display during Book Week, is simply called Elyakim Rubinstein’s Book. It will have a special launch in Jerusalem on Tuesday, June 26 at 8 p.m. at the Palmah Community Center at the Palmah-Hameshuryanim intersection in Katamon. Speakers will include former Supreme Court president Aharon Barak, retired Supreme Court judge Ayala Procaccia, Miriam Markowitz-Biton of the BIU Law Faculty and law researcher Rinat Sofer.
■ THE RECENTLY established Friends of the Jerusalem Opera under the direction of Iris Shvil, is starting off in a very modest manner, with only two events planned for the year ahead. One is what is hoped to be a gala annual dinner, to be held in October, and another which will be either an interesting lecture about opera or a performance by the Opera’s singers. Once a core of donors and sponsors is established, the Friends of the Jerusalem Opera will set themselves specific goals to aid the opera company in its quest for a permanent home. It is not only shameful, but ridiculous that with the amount of construction going on in Israel’s capital, the city’s culture vultures have not yet been able to influence the construction of a performing arts center similar to that of Tel Aviv. In the past, operas and operettas have been staged at the Jerusalem Theater, the Jerusalem International Convention Center, the Arena and Sultan’s Pool. There is no valid reason for the absence of a fully equipped state of the art opera house in Jerusalem. Culture lovers who have not yet decided on what they want to see should be able to come to a large outdoor plaza surrounded by a concert hall, a dance theater, a drama theater, an opera house and cinema, plus restaurants, so that there is something for every taste and every pocket.
To get the Friends organization of the ground, interested parties are asked to donate at least NIS 2000 per year for a couple, and business enterprises are asked to donate NIS 5000 per year.
Membership entitles donors to VIP invitations to opera performances; and businesses will have their logos appear in the opera company’s program brochures and other PR material.
The Jerusalem Opera Company currently has some 2000 supporters and others who are on the Opera mailing list. Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Friends of the Jerusalem Opera Company should e-mail Efi Chamiel, a member of the Opera’s Executive Committee at echamiel@gmail.com.
The Israel Opera Company has two madcap Parisian operetta productions coming up next week at the Arena in Jerusalem on Tuesday, June 15 at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., and in Netanya on June 17.
Tickets are NIS 120. The productions are Le mariage aux lanternes by Jacques Offenbach and Une éducation manquée by Emmanuel Chabrier.
■ YOU’VE SEEN Shtisel on the small screen. If you have a television set, PC or even a mobile phone, you couldn’t have missed seeing at least one episode of the show that so many people are talking about it all over the Jewish world, and even beyond. You can meet some of the Shtisel stars in person on Thursday, June 24 at the Shalva National Center at 7.15 p.m. There will also be a special performance by mentalist Lioz Shem Tov.
MC of the program will be Sarah Williamson of i24. Café Shalva will be open before and after the event. Proceeds from the program, which is in English, will be earmarked for Camp Shalva.
■ GIVING UP a career that one has loved and labored for is never easy, but much more difficult for Jewish female entertainers who take on a religious lifestyle – meaning that they can no longer perform in front of men. It’s bad enough for those who were members of amateur theater, dance or singing groups, but it’s much more difficult for those who were true professionals. Along came Toby Klein Greenwald who established the Raise Your Spirits entertainment company featuring actresses, singers, dancers and musicians, who come together and put on some truly spectacular performances. They are so professional that when they have to play male roles, it is very difficult to tell that there are women behind the make-up, the wigs and masculine attire. They are women performing for women – and they have a huge following which was miserable without them during the coronavirus pandemic.
Now they’re back with a new production, just in time to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Raise Your Spirits. The production Rebecca – Mother of Two Dynasties will be on stage at Heichal Hatarbut in Gush Etzion on June 13 and 16, and at the Begin Heritage center, Jerusalem on June 20 and 21.greerfc@gmail.com