Enjoy a recent film and a refreshing beer for only NIS 20 as part of the Jerusalem Cinematheque special offer on Fridays at 10 p.m. (NIS 10 per ticket and NIS 10 per pint). Watch the 2022 film Nope by Jordan Peele, an edgy mix of black culture, horror, comedy and grit. What happens when the supernatural erupts at the only black-owned horse ranch serving a Hollywood clientele? Go right to the source and ask the horse – if you dare.
Film buffs alert: The sad passing of film critic Uri Klein this summer inspired his many admirers to curate a unique offering of his most beloved films to honor his memory. Many of these films are American classics one would be hard pressed to find on the big screen anywhere else but at the Jerusalem Cinematheque this week.
So take this opportunity to see All that Heaven Allows (5:30 p.m.); Far from Heaven (Saturday, October 15 at 9 p.m.); Anatomy of Murder (Sunday, October 16 at 6 p.m.); Kiss Me Deadly (Monday, October 17 at 8:30 p.m.); and Johnny Guitar (Tuesday, October 18 at 6 p.m.).
Jerusalem Cinematheque unveils renovated auditorium (credit: Courtesy)SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15
The Hoodna Orchestra will rock your world at 9:30 p.m. at the Mazkeka (3 Shoshan St.). Tickets are NIS 40 at pre-sale and NIS 50 at the door. Come hear an 11-piece orchestra move the soul as the good times roll.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16
When the Western Wall Plaza was renovated a few years back, stone mason, artist and monument builder Chen Winkler was there to collect some of the stone shards. Honor the love this unique artist has for Jerusalem by visiting his new exhibition”Heavenly Stone” in Tel Aviv before it closes on Tuesday, October 25.
Examine works like Ocean, with its delicate gold fish painted on jasper crystal ($2,800) or the majestic Queen of Corona made from amethyst crystal ($6,000). Amiad Center (12 Amiad St.); hours are 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 17
This is the last day to enjoy free, online Israeli films courtesy of the Jerusalem Cinematheque’s archive. The three films on offer are Columbian Love, which won three Ophir awards; The Fox in the Chicken Coop, a comedy based on the 1955 same-titled book by Ephraim Kishon; and Mitahat La’af (Big Shots), a 1982 crime movie that gained cult-like status.
While all three films present very Israeli slices of life, the second one presents an Israeli state under one-party rule – Mapai – which few people remember today. In that sense, the film is a satire aimed at a society that no longer exists. The offer expires at midnight. Links: jfc.org.il/en/movie/37157-2/; jfc.org.il/en/movie/25124-2/; jfc.org.il/en/movie/45134-2/
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18
Watch Mikve, the Musical – Music & Monologues from the Deep 2.0 at Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center (22 Keren Hayesod St.) at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7:30 p.m.). This unique women-only performance is enhanced by members of Tofa’ah, the first women-only rock band active since 1981, which will perform on stage.
As it is inspired by The Vagina Monologues, viewers will watch stories shaped by the experiences of Jewish women who partake in ritual bathing to rid themselves of impurities. Note that this is a revised version, with new material added. Rabbanit Hani Lifshitz of the Chabad House in Nepal is among the participants. Directed by Toby Klein Greenwald. Tickets are NIS 100 at pre-sale and NIS 120 at the door. Call 050-894-4818 to order. For women only. No infants allowed.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19
Visit the exhibition “The Dybbuk – Through Times and Generations” at the Israel Goor Theatre Archives and Museum (Hebrew University of Jerusalem). A dybbuk is a spirit that refuses to accept its death and disturbs the living, perhaps rightly so. When S. Ansky’s play The Dybbuk was performed in Warsaw in 1920, the Jewish world knew it had an undying hit.
The play was performed by Miriam Orleska, who kept performing for her fellow Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto before she was murdered in Treblinka. Actor Maurice Schwartz brought it to America, and Hanna Rovina became an Israeli icon thanks to it.
Polish director Marcin Wrona switched genders and had actor Itay Tiran play an Israeli man about to wed a Polish woman in the stunning 2015 film Demon. The groom’s body is invaded by a female dybbuk, a dead Jewish bride who now returns to a world that forgot her. In the original Ansky version, it is the living female body of a Jewish bride that is invaded by the spirit of a dead male lover.
Curators Rachel Achunov and Dr. Leah Giluls take us on a century-long ride and present the various productions and how they shaped the Jewish imagination. Opening hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20
Get ready for a great weekend with a pint of Loch Lomond oatmeal stout at Hataklit (7 Heleni Hamalka St.), one of the finest English pubs in the capital. This is a good opportunity to watch a soccer game on a large screen, enjoy some music, and chat about records and life. Open from 4:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Throwing a special party? Opening an art exhibition or a new bar? Bringing in a guest speaker to introduce a fascinating topic? 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. Although all information is welcome, we cannot guarantee it will be featured in the column.
