Culture in Israel

Legendary Festigal producer Miki Peled dies at 87

Peled, considered one of the pillars of Israel’s entertainment industry, left behind a remarkable legacy that shaped the childhoods of generations across the country.

|ByTZUF TZIMERING
Miki Peled.
RISA BROOKE OZE at ‘Kat World.’ With ‘Meow York Times Mourns the Demise of Khatmeini’ illustrating propaganda’s strange glamour.

'Kat World:' Artist Risa Brooke Oze turns wartime life in Israel into whiskered, cat-themed satire

Oze’s signature style filters big, uncomfortable themes through a distinctly feminine lens – bright, playful, and unmistakably her own.

|ByERICA SCHACHNE
JEWISH AMERICAN mobster Meyer Lansky in ‘Lansky – the Zionist Gangster.’

What to watch in Israel this week: Lansky’s Zionism, E.T. on Disney+, and the James Bond curse

TV Time: A new KAN documentary explores Meyer Lansky’s criminal empire, Jewish identity, and surprising ties to Israel, alongside reviews of new streaming additions including E.T. and Ian Fleming.

|ByHANNAH BROWN
Avi Nesher's new film Our Loves tackles the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023.

Cinema on October 7, French Jewish life take center stage

The program, hosted by Jerusalem Post culture writer and film critic Hannah Brown, opened with a discussion on Our Loves, the latest film by veteran Israeli director Avi Nesher.

|ByJERUSALEM POST PODCASTS

Discover the central Arava: Israel’s desert haven for wellness and renewal

Israel’s central Arava offers a unique escape, wellness retreats, wildlife sanctuaries, and a desert that restores body and mind.

JANUARY 10, 2026ByNOAM BEDEIN
At sunset, the private plunge pools of Amara Tzukim’s couples’ neighborhood glow against the desert landscape, capturing the intimacy and stillness of a night in the Central Arava.

Inside the unexpected cultural renaissance happening in Beit Shemesh

From Shlock Rock to major Israeli theater productions, Beit Shemesh’s cultural center is turning the city into an unexpected arts destination.

JANUARY 10, 2026ByALAN ROSENBAUM
Lenny Solomon at the keyboard with the Shlock Rock band at the 40th anniversary concert in Beit Shemesh.

New Israeli craft beers tell stories of war, recovery, and creativity

From light lagers to imperial stouts, Israel’s new craft beers offer unique flavors and stories in every sip.

JANUARY 10, 2026ByDOUG GREENER
The brewer of four Shomron beers says that brewing is what cured him from post-trauma after many years of active combat duty.

Melting Point at the Museum for Islamic Art shows what jewellery can be

Melting Point brings artists together to show how jewellery evolves into storytelling, emotion, and cultural memory in a time of rupture and renewal.

JANUARY 10, 2026ByBARRY DAVIS
‘Memento Mori’ by Adi Harush and Ben Tzur references Victorian mourning jewelry and the arc between heritage and contemporary works.

Grapevine: Puttin' in the Ritz

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

JANUARY 10, 2026ByGREER FAY CASHMAN
The majestic King David Hotel in Jerusalem

HBO Max arrives in Israel while Anderson’s film sparks controversy

TV TIME: HBO Max launches in Israel with a full slate of hit series and films, while Paul Thomas Anderson’s 'One Battle After Another' draws sharp criticism for its politics and plot.

JANUARY 9, 2026ByHANNAH BROWN
‘The Pitt.’

How a Jew and an Arab made a comedy about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

A bold new Jewish-Arab comedy, “Bella,” uses humor to explore shared pain.

JANUARY 9, 2026ByHANNAH BROWN
A scene from ‘Bella.’

Israel's ‘palace’ of art and architecture in Ma’aleh Adumim marks 15 years

The Moshe Castel Museum of Art marks 15 years of presenting the works of underappreciated Israeli artists to the public.

JANUARY 3, 2026ByABIGAIL KLEIN LEICHMAN
SELF-PORTRAIT of Pinchas Shaar (1923-1996).

‘Let’s start bigger’: Israelis behind ‘The Department of Magic’ detail creative process - interview

Amit Weiss, an acting and cinema student at Sapir Academic College near Sderot, and Talia Novich, a technical writer in Haifa, are creatively inseparable.

JANUARY 3, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
The Department of Magic.

What to watch in Israel: War is over with ‘Murder at the Dead Sea’

TV TIME: Israeli satire, British scandal, and classic dramas converge as television cautiously moves back toward escapism.

JANUARY 3, 2026ByHANNAH BROWN
Photo from Murder at the Dead Sea