Israel Active

Tel Aviv City Council, real estate agencies and artists are taking the dilapidated buildings across Tel Aviv to flip them, if only briefly, into cultural centers. In one of them, Alfredo Libre Gutierez, also known.as Libre, painted a mural to transform a soon-to-be-torn-down old clothing factory.

The 20th annual Jerusalem Hills Regional Wine Festival opened on 29th Nov. 33 wineries celebrate their unique vintages and the region. The Jerusalem Hills are perfect for grapes, and an extensive boutique winery industry has blossomed. There are weekend tastings and music events until 22 Dec.

In honor of World Kindness day, hundreds gathered in Jerusalem's First Station for a flash mob.

The Israeli show Nevsu won the Best Comedy series at the 46th annual International Emmy Awards in New York. Nevsu depicts a marriage between an Ethiopian Israeli man and an Ashkenazi Jewish Israeli woman.

The Israel National Mediterranean Sea Trail is an exciting project to add to Israel’s impressive line-up of nature trails. In 2019, hikers will be able to enjoy the first 34km of a 240km (150 miles) coastal trail from Rosh Hanikra in the North to Kibbutz Zikim in the South.

Eurovision fans in London were treated to a star performance by this year’s Israeli winner, Netta, at British Airways head office. The event celebrated 70 years of Israel’s independence and over 80 years of British Airways flying to Tel Aviv.

Jewish American reggae singer Matisyahu, currently on a world tour with his latest album, “Undercurrent,” returns to Israel with a concert on December 2 at Jerusalem’s Zedekiah’s Cave. He is also hosting intimate evenings at bars and spaces throughout his Israeli tour.

Tel Aviv’s annual 10km Night Run went ahead as planned.  Tel Aviv mayor Ron Huldai invited Israeli residents from communities near the Gaza border to participate in the run, free of charge. Tel Aviv community centers hosted 200 Southern Israel families, who also had free museum visits.

More than 50 exhibitions by hundreds of Israeli illustrators, designers and artists will be open to the public, mostly free of charge, during the fifth edition of Illustration Week in Tel Aviv, Nov 15-24. The exhibitions take place in Old Jaffa, Rothschild Boulevard, the Eretz Israel Museum and more.

Jerusalem hosts the jazz and alternative music festival Jazz-Globus from Nov 27 to Dec 1. It is known as one of the best quality jazz festivals in Israel and features four concerts with 20 musicians from Israel, USA, Russia, Cuba, Italy, Poland, Germany, Argentina and Brazil.