Jerusalem may be a world-class city, but it’s not often that partying Jerusalemites are offered the chance to travel around the world, in a manner of speaking, without leaving their favorite haunts. But now a major champion of Jerusalem’s burgeoning party scene, the political party (in both senses of the word) Hitorerut Yerushalayim (Wake up Jerusalem), is making good on its mandate to improve Jerusalem’s standing among the city’s youth and students by offering a series of travel-themed bar nights.
No boarding pass is needed; every Monday for the next several weeks, Hitorerut simply plans on dressing up a different bar around town as the “destination” of the week. With the help of Jerusalem art students, Hitorerut plans on turning the Yehoshua Bar into London, the Gola bar into Havana and Mia into Rome, among others. There have already been parties at Jabotinsky, Tel Aviv Bar and HaTza’atzua, representing locales such as Berlin, Marakesh and Rio, and the events have proven to be a hit.
“So far, the parties have been very successful,” says Neta Yaron, an international studies student who heads the projects team at Hitorerut. “We’ve had hundreds of students, with hundreds more coming back every week.”
Part of the draw for revelers is the special bar discounts Hitorerut has arranged for, plus the specialty drinks linked to the capital being represented – think Cuba Libres for Havana and pale ales for London, etc.
“We’ve had excellent responses. Many students are familiar with the projects and choose to return to our parties every week. Bars are also pleased about the cooperation of the organization and desire Hitorerut to assist them,” Yaron says.
The initiative is just one of many that has transformed downtown Jerusalem into a place where there is always a party going on. Groups around town have been teaming up with each other, and with unlikely partners, to create the best of nightlife experiences for stalwart Jerusalemites and visitors to the city alike. And Hitorerut, as part of Mayor Nir Barkat’s coalition, has been especially well-positioned to be a part of that.
Scheduling the event on Monday nights, normally a slow one in terms of nightlife no matter where you are, was deliberate, Yaron explains. “We wanted to flood the city center with students on Monday night,” Yaron says. “Many students come to study in Jerusalem but in fact do not know the great aspects of town. There are many places to spend time in Jerusalem, and we, the volunteers of the movement, lovers of Jerusalem with all our souls, want to show students who live in Jerusalem the city as we know it, and to share our love for it.”
Photos of a recent Around the World party at HaTza’atzua courtesy of Yinon Fox for Hitorerut.
