Israel Active

The Tel Aviv Museum of Art has launched a full digital replica of its museum complex in Minecraft, the world’s most popular computer game. Players can view 100 works of art and participate in challenges to win prizes. Some half a million Minecraft players aged 10-24 live in Israel.

According to many of its 43,000 residents, Pardes Hanna-Karkur has a special charm, an artistic feel, and a down-to-earth quality. The stables house artists’ boutiques, cafes, restaurants and even spaces for therapists. At Festival HaNadiv (10-12 Nov) all events are free.

The Rosh Tzipor (Bird’s Head) Forest is situated in HaYarkon Park in the heart of Tel Aviv. Inside is the new Ganei Yehoshua park bird watching center at the junction of the Ayalon and Yarkon rivers. It covers 8 acres of trees, green areas, streams and ponds with many species of birds.

Maccabi Haifa beat top Italian soccer team Juventus 2-0 in their UEFA Champions’ League group match in front of some 30,000 ecstatic fans in Haifa. Maccabi Haifa’s first win in Europe’s top competition keeps alive their slim chance of qualifying for the final stages.

A pod of ten “false killer whales” (Pseudorca crassidens) made a rare visit to the Gulf of Eilat. Israel Nature and Parks Authority maritime ranger Omri Amosi swam with them and documented them. The dolphin species is so named because they have skulls like killer whales (Orcas).

Israeli singer-songwriter Coral Bismuth was performing on a Tel Aviv beach when spotted by Adam Levine, lead vocalist of Maroon 5 who were in Israel prior to the band’s concert in Yarkon Park. He invited Coral to join the band on stage and play to 70,000 Maroon 5 fans.

Upcoming events at Center Stage in Raanana (Israel’s only professional English language theater) include Eli and the Chocolate factory (25 Oct - Jazz), Iris Bahr’s Comedy Nite (26 Oct), Sorcerers Night (31 Oct), Songtalk (9 Nov), and Chorale Vie Nouvelle (29 Dec – Congolese in Israel).

Paris-based photographer Raphael Perez is displaying his collection of 80 photos of 65 Israeli jazz musicians from Oct 13-30 at the ZOA House (Beit Ziyonei America), in Tel Aviv. He plans to publish his book of the photos plus biographies of the musicians, in English, French and Hebrew in Feb 2023.

Here is an up-to-date list from NoCamels of 18 free activities in Jerusalem. Old City, Teddy Park, Knesset, Supreme Court, Wohl Rose Garden, Bird Observatory, Yad Vashem, Mount Herzl, Gazelle Valley, Montefiore Windmill, Skate park, Ein Karem, First Station, Sacher Park, Machane Yehuda and more.

Israel’s senior soccer team beat Albania 2-1 to win a place in the UEFA 2024 qualifying playoffs. Israel’s Tai Baribo scored the decisive goal, two minutes into injury time.