Saturday – Iranian issues are hotly debated in Israeli media, from the Islamic Republic’s nuclear policy to the way its athletes treat Israeli counterparts. Film lovers will be able to enjoy a screening of the 2009 film Women Without Men by director Shirin Neshat this weekend. Based on the same-titled 1990 novella by Shahrnush Parsipur, the movie explores the lives of women forced to survive in Iranian society without the protection of husbands, fathers, or sons. The novella led to Parsipur being jailed. She currently resides in the US, as does Neshat. The film is screened as part of the Austrian Film Festival at the Jerusalem Cinematheque.
Women Without Men Saturday 9 p.m. at the Jerusalem Cinematheque. Tickets are NIS 40. Site: jer-cin.org.il/en/lobby/austrian-film-week-1 11 Hebron Road. Phone (02) 565-4333
Sunday – Residents of the Holy City better stock up on coffee and energy drinks as the variety of nocturnal Torah study sessions has something for everybody! French speakers will be able to study with Rabbi Bitya Rozen-Goldberg and Rabbi Gabriel Abensour starting from 11 p.m. and well past 1 a.m. at the pluralistic Beit Midrash Ta Shma on 3 Issachar Street. English speakers are warmly invited to Shavuot on Fire at Begin Center on 6 Nachshon Street. The night-long session includes a 3 a.m. guided walk to the Western Wall and a 7 a.m. visit to Temple Mount.
A different, nature-focused session about the holiday will be offered starting at 11 p.m. at the Valley of the Cross by the Am-Adam group. Inspired by the Zionist values of A. D. Gordon those attending the workshop will be led in Hebrew meditation under the green trees of Jerusalem and asked to consider their own life cycles. Those seeking the company of people, not plants, might do well to head to the Monster Pub and take part in an evening of community building and study at 8 Chile Street.
The monster which made the location so famous was created by feminist artist Niki de Saint Phalle in 1971. HaMiflezet cooperative seeks to re-create a community pub near the public artwork for the benefit of all residents of the capital.
The night study session will focus on poetry, local communities, and offers a friendly atmosphere. Earlier this year the original pub collapsed due to the snow storm and the collective is currently rebuilding it.
Ta Shma (French session) on 3 Issachar Street e-mail: info@tashma.org.il. Begin Center (English sessions and guided walks) on 6 Nachshon Street, more details can be had via phone number 058-541-6146. Am-Adam offers Hebrew meditation in nature, more info can be had via its website am-adam.org/ and phone number 055-684-2114. HaMiflezet cooperative can be reached via email hamiflezet@gmail.com While no attendance costs were listed in the publications the magazine received please act responsibility and get in touch with organizers before your arrival to make sure.
Tuesday – Prof. Ronny Reich, who has been excavating the City of David since 1995, will generously take interested members of the public to a fascinating virtual journey back in time to Second Temple period Jerusalem as best understood in our own historical moment based on the data scholars possess. The free Hebrew lecture is the 6th and final meeting in a series of modern archaeology discussions held at Beit Avi Chai. The lecture will be held at 5 p.m. Free registration is possible via https://www.bac.org.il/ENG
Wind Mind – is a recently opened collective art exhibition at Hansen House. The impressive effort is the result of eight curators, all recent graduates of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design MA Program for Policy and Theory of the Arts, working together. From the realistic paintings of Fatma Shanan to the complex installations of Inbal Hoffman and the drawings of Avital Cnaani, this exhibition is worth a visit. Especially after a night of Torah study and debate!
Hansen House 14 Gedalyahu Alon Street. Opening hours are Sunday to Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free provided one registers in advance according to the Health Ministry guidelines at hansen.co.il/en/
Thursday – Romeo and Juliet at City Square. A condensed 40-minute version of the Shakespearean play is on offer at the Khan Theater. The open-air production takes place at the theater’s court at 8:30 p.m. Splendid for anyone seeking what to enjoy during the summer evenings! Noting this was the first play Shakespeare staged after the 1593 London plague, the production seeks to show these two well-known lovers in a brand new way suitable for our own COVID-19 infused historical moment. Tickets are 50 NIS.
Romeo and Juliet at City Square at the Khan Theater courtyard at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are NIS 50. Phone (02) 6303600 2 David Remez St. Site: www.khan.co.il/eng/shows/232/Romeo-and-Juliet
Throwing a good party? Opening an art exhibition or a new bar? Bringing in a guest speaker to introduce a fascinating topic? Why not drop me a line at hagay_hacohen@yahoo.com and let ‘In Jerusalem’ know about it? Send emails with “Jerusalem Highlights” in the subject line. While all information is welcome, receiving such notifications is not a guarantee they will be featured in the column.