Israel Active

The annual Tel Aviv Jazz Festival (Nov 25-27) is one of the city’s premiere events, attracting some of the top established and up-and-coming talent from both the local and international jazz scene.

Ravid Kahalani of popular Israeli band Yemen Blues grew up in Israel surrounded by Jewish-Yemeni culture.  He sings in Yemeni-Arabic and dreams of performing in Yemen one day.

The international culinary festival “Round Tables by American Express” sent the top chefs from 13 of the most acclaimed restaurants in the world to Tel Aviv for an entire week, where they took over the kitchens.

Jerusalem’s Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel will constitute the largest center in the world for the presentation of the archaeological heritage of the Land of Israel, including all its cultures.

KKL-JNF held a ceremony at the newly constructed Bird-watching Center in Yarkon Park’s Rosh Tzippor Forest. The 7.5-acre park will open this Spring.

Tour guide and Newsletter subscriber sent some Israeli snacks to Japan for video bloggers Satoshi and Shinich to taste.  Some of their reactions to these unusual (for them) products were very amusing.  Please “like” their video

November concerts in Israel include Chemical Brothers (12th), The Stranglers (17th) and Air Supply (24-26th). Sophia Loren presents (25th) and Lord of the Dance starts (28th). The Hula Valley Bird Festival (20-27th) features tours, photography seminars, and a scientific conference.

Actors Grant and Daniella Crankshaw are taking their hit show “Together, Against the Odds" on an international tour.  They will perform and sing their hilarious tale of how they met, married and made Aliya in Johannesburg on Nov 24 and 26. They also plan to tour the UK, Australia and the US.

For the first time, a film entirely in Arabic will represent Israel at the Academy Awards (Oscars). “Sand Storm”, a family drama set in the Bedouin community, won six Ophir Awards (Israel’s top film competition), including for best film.

More than 150 top Israeli and international pianists will perform at the annual Tel Aviv Piano Festival from Nov 9 to Nov 12. The largest concerts will be held at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.