Israel Active

The Israel Museum is opening a landmark exhibition "Herod the Great: The King's Final Journey" It will present archaeological finds from the recently discovered tomb at Herodium, as well as from Jericho and sheds new light on the impact of Herod's reign from 37 to 4 B.C.E.

The International Institute for Secret Jews (Anusim) Studies of Netanya Academic College and Casa Shalom (IISJAS)—Institute for Marrano-Anusim Studies is honoring HE Miguel de Almeida e Sousa, Portuguese Ambassador to Israel on 31st January. https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-International-Institute-for-Studies-of-Secret-Jews/127599744000151

The travel guide "Lonely Planet" ranks Tel Aviv's beach as the seventh best in the world, rated after Barcelona, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney but ahead of Dubai and Miami. It wrote that Tel Aviv beaches are safe and clean, and there are changing rooms and freshwater showers scattered along its length.

Some 950 dancers from 30 countries – including Turkey, Egypt and Jordan – are participating in the annual International Belly Dance Festival taking place in Eilat's Club Hotel. The festival is the world's biggest belly dancing event.

Television series Homeland, based on the Israeli television show Hatufim, has had another successful year at the Golden Globes, winning Best Television Drama. Homeland’s Damian Lewis and Claire Danes were honored with the Best Actor and Best Actress awards for their roles in the series.

The Israeli movie “Fill the Void” was named Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. The film portrays the ultra-orthodox Jewish community in Tel Aviv and beat entries from 41 other countries.

2013 developments at Jerusalem’s Botanical gardens include a Children’s Interactive Discovery Path and an expanded and renovated tropical conservatory. Read about these and exciting events for the upcoming New Year for Trees and for the rest of the Spring season.

(Thanks to Liba) CNN has suddenly recognized that Israel has many cultural attractions. Here is its top 10 of the Jewish State’s more than 200 museums.

Meet Michael Greilsammer from Jerusalem. He bills himself as the world’s only Jewish reggae violinist, sings in French and plays music that is influenced by the rhythms of Bob Marley, Irish pubs, Gypsy camps and even the Arab street. He has just performed at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada.

Enjoy the performance of Israel’s 8-year-old progeny pianist Yoav Levanon as he plays Haydn’s Piano Concerto in D major – without music, note! The setting of Budapest’s Dohany Synagogue makes it even more atmospheric.