Friday morning a couple of weeks ago the Dizengoff Center in Tel Aviv hosted a food market. From the look of it most shoppers were happy and content, and even more so when they got the surprise of their lives.

Among the shoppers were members of the Israel Philharmonics and its choir.

The noise level at such events is quite high, but the Philharmonics managed to quieten everybody when it struck up the chords and full version of Verdi’s Il Trovatore and Rigoletto.

I was not there, but saw the news broadcast in the evening. And when I saw the clip on YouTube, I knew I had to share it with others.

So let nobody tell you that Israel doesn’t have talent and initiative. Enjoy!

Megillat Esther

Purim is the lightest and most fun of all Jewish holidays. That does not mean that there is not a lesson to be had, but at least on the days of Purim we are allowed to go outside our normal behavior, dance, make parades, have parties and other fun activities.

The holiday or festival of Purim celebrates the story as related in the Book of Esther. The story takes place in ancient Persia empire. The king, Ahashuerus, had an advisor,vizier, Haman, who plots the extermination of the Jewish people there. Ahashuerus makes some bad decisions due to his excessive drinking, i.e. being drunk. Luckily one of his wives, Queen Esther learns about Haman’s plot and that Ahashuerus has given permission to carry out the plot. Esther turns to her her uncle and foster parent, Mordecai, and together they foil Haman’s evil plans to exterminate the Jews.

The day following the defeat of Haman was declared a day of festivities and rejoicing.

Observance and Festivities

As all other Jewish holiday, Purim begins with sunset. During the evening it is customary to go to synagogue and hear the reading of the Book of Esther (Megillat Esther). During the reading, every time the name of Haman comes up, the community is supposed to make so much noice that the name can’t be hear. Why? To wipe out evil. How? Through shouting or the use of rattlers (noise makers, ra’ashan).

Since the holiday of Purim is about having as much fun as possible it became the custom to dress up and have purim plays and parties. It is also costumary to give out mishloat manot, literally sending out portions, but really baskets with sweets, candies and cakes. Talking about cakes the special food for purim are oznei haman (haman’s ears), also know as hamantaschen. This is a cookie like pastry folded into a triangle with chocolate, puppy seed or jam filling.

In Israel

In modern Israel this is the day for the kids in particular to dress up, to put on make up, to become whatever they want for a day or two. Purim is a two day holiday from school and studies. On the last day before Purim the children come to school dressed up, and of course there are no studies on that day. No wonder that Purim has become so popular.

On that same day, or more commonly, on the Friday closest to the holiday many places hold adloyadot, a combination of street carnival and parade. These adloyadot can be elaborate affairs, with floats and themes. But this is not just for the children. Adults also dress up and participate. The adloyadot are for the children, young adults take the opportunity for creating their own parties in the evenings.

As I often work during the holiday of Purim I don’t always have the chance to participate. But I have been known to turn up for work wearing a wig or a funny hat. We all find our own way to celebrate.

A few pictures representing a local Purim festivity

We live in an age of a great religious war.

The Islamist enemy seeks to overwhelm and subjugate the planet. Their goal is to erase all other religions and belief systems. This attack on cultural diversity and freedom of thought has come at a time when the West is most vulnerable. Most people in the West seem to have lost their religious belief and cannot really accept that they are facing an enemy that truly believes that they are carrying out the orders of an omnipotent, supernatural being.

These Westerners, blind to the truth, are convinced that there must be some “other” motivation behind the suicide bombings, the rioting, the terrorist attacks, and the hatred! Some motive that could be satisfied by improving economies, fighting poverty, relinquishing land, or some other “rational” concession. Strangely, even the government of Israel refuses to play the religion card and to announce that we are the Chosen People living in our Promised Land, having returned from exile as prophesied in both the Bible and the Koran.

An exception is, of course, the millions of Evangelical Christian Zionists in America. A community that a majority of Jews have been taught to mistrust. If you are one of those Jews please check out CUFI, Christians United For Israel.   (ed. I agree especially with the last paragraph)

Slava Ganelin

Within the music world Israel is best known for within classical music from the Israel Philarmonic to the many soloists and conductors.

A field of music less prominent, but no less popular within Israel, is jazz. If you happen to be in Israel, and in particular in Jerusalem, and you want to hear international level jazz, you are in the right place.

Beginning Nov. 25 the sixth annual Jazz Globus Festival will run through to December 2. Most of the event will take place in the Nahlat Shiva area in downtown Jerusalem. The host of the event is the small, but excellent Harmony Hotel.

During the festival 120 musicians and 22 bands from Israel and from around the world will play to the delight of the audiences. International names include jazz guitarist Alexei Kuznetsov, trumpeter Igor Shirokov, the jazz ensemble Round Band and pianist Tony Pancello.

Israeli musicians, many of international renown, include Slava Ganelin, Michal Cohen, Robert Anchipolovsky, Yuval Tabachnik, Ivri Boruchov and Dmitry Grodsky.

All the events will take place in the Harmony Hall of the Harmony Hotel. If you are lucky you may catch some of the musicial jamming it up in the lobby of the hotel prior to the concert, or even during the day.

When: Nov. 25 through Dec. 2
Where: Harmony Hotel, Nahlat Sivah, Jerusalem

Tickets can be purchased at the Jerusalem Cultural Center, Hillel St. 27, just prior to concerts. Price per ticket – NS 60.

To see full program of the Jazz Globus Festival

To give you a taste of what you may experience, I found this video on YouTube of two of the visiting artists, who will be performing at the Globus Jazz Festival in Jerusalem – Robert Anchipolovsky and Tony Pancella from a previous visit to Israel

If you are visiting Israel at the moment or within the next two weeks, you may possibly take part in one of the world’s most prestigious film events, The Jerusalem Film Festival.

The festival is the brain child of Lia van Leer, who inaugurated the first festival on May 17, 1984. Lia van Leer and her husband Wim (z”l) were the founders and moving spirit behind the establishment of the Jerusalem Cinemateque in the Hinnom Valley, but strongly supported by George Ostrovsky, of Brazil and Paris, as well as former mayor of Jerusalem Teddy Kollek (z”l) and the Jerusalem Foundation.

Since its establishment the Jerusalem Film Festival has matured into its present form, stretching over 10 days, showing 150-200 films in all genres and celebrating the best of international feature films, documentaries, Jewish experience of identity and history, television dramas, directors, and of course encouraging the blossoming Israeli film industry.

The Festival has move outside the building and showrooms of the Cinemateque building in Jerusalem and this year also offers showing in public places without entrance fees, such as the new Alrov-Mamilla Mall, The Ticho House and other places.

The Festival every year honors film makers with Life Achievement Awards. This years awards go to Theo Angelopoulos, Yosef Shiloah, Nurit and Yitzhak (Ijo) Shani and the Sam Spiegel School of Film and Television.

There will also be special lectures or talks, a way for the public to meet festival guests. These guests will focus on varius subjects: Karin Albou will talk about Le Chant des Mariees, Theo Angeloppoulos on The Dust of Time, Gerald Peary on Criticism, Audience and Changing Reality, and Valie Export on Can Art Still Shock.

The Festival will for many Israelis and Jerusalemites take over their lives during these coming 10 days, starting on July 9th. As said, if you happen to be in Jerusalem during this period, hurry up and book tickets (if they are still available).

The official site of The Jerusalem Film Festival.

In 1936 Bronislav Huberman, a Polish born Jewish violinist and musician, foresaw the Holocaust. He persuaded 75 Jewish musicians in major

At home with Zubin Mehta

European orchestras to immigrate to Palestine and be part of the “materalization of Zionist culture in the fatherland.”

The opening concert of the Palestine Philarmonics took place on December 28, 1936, in the Levant Fair Hall in Tel Aviv, conducted by Arturo Toscanini.

From its very beginning The Philharmonics set the tone, not just musically, for traditions that still accompany it till today. World renowned conductors and soloists and singers were and still are attracted to perform with the orchestra. In 1940′s it conducted several tours through the Middle East, as well as performances for the Allied forces and the Jewish Brigade in the Western Desert.

When the State of Israel was declared on May 14, 1948 in the Tel Aviv Museum (today Independence Hall), it was the natural choice to have The Philharmonics play the anthem, HaTikva. It was around this time that the young Leonard Bernstein began many years of involvement with the Philharmonics. In 1950 the Philharmonics was on its first tour of USA, soon to be followed by its first European tour.

With Leonard Bernstein

Finally in 1957 the Orchestra received its own home, the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv. It could now finally expand its subscriber basis, something that is still the backbone of the orchestra. New names, from Israel and abroad, attach themselves to the Orchestra, such as Zubin Mehta, who later becomes its Musical Director, or become almost permanent performing visiting artists, such as Yitzhak Perlman, Yitzhak Zuckerman, Daniel Barenboim, Jaqueline de Pre, Placido Domingo and many many others.

The orchestra has and still continues its tradition of performing not only to its subscribers in Israel, but also travels extensively throughout the world. It has over the years made many recordings, and continues to experiment and renew itself. In the 1990′ it began a new tradition
of working with some of the best Israeli non-classical performers and composers.

For a much longer and more detailed description of the history and achievements of the Israel Philarmonic Orchestra, please follow this link straight to the Orchestra’s website in English.

For a much longer and more detailed description of the history and achievements of the Israel Philarmonic Orchestra

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