As the exact point where East and West meet, Jerusalem has been nicknamed “the center of the world,” which makes the city a natural hotbed for world music, a genre marked by the blending of traditional folk sounds from any number of ethnicities. This week, the Jerusalem world music brew finds expression in a number of concerts, foremost among them being under the umbrella of the International Oud Festival, which once again takes the city by stringed storm. There’s more going on, too.
- Idan Raichel (pictured) has moved well beyond the Israeli music scene, taking the world by storm with his unique brand of pan-Jewish-infused world pop, favoring the chants of Ethiopia set to synth-atmospherics. Lucky for us, his home base is still Israel, and he’s following up his recent world tour with a show at Binyanei Hauma on Thursday night.
- Only in uber-literary Israel would a circus-informed theater performance be based on the works of a contemporary poet. But that’s just what’s going on at HaMa’abada on Friday with the show A Handful of Circus Wonders, based on the poems of Nathan Alterman.
- The International Oud Festival has become a much-anticipated favorite on the annual Jerusalem musical calendar, with musicians from the world over flocking to Jerusalem to show their skills on the instrument and other Middle Eastern sound-making gadgets, both traditional and newer. The festival starts on Thursday and runs through the 25th. On Saturday night, Yair Dalal explores The Nightingale of Baghdad at the Jerusalem Theatre.
- On Sunday, a play by one of Israel’s most beloved playwrights, Hillel Mittlepunkt, is brought to life on the Jerusalem Theatre’s stage. A Railroad to Damascus tells the story of love and deception in the heady days of pre-state Israel, and this production, put on with the National English Theater, is not to be missed.
- Last week marked the 72nd anniversary of Kristallnacht and the 31st anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The two events find (somewhat) common ground in the sculptures of Gunter Demning, who has famously memorialized victims of Nazi persecution all around Europe. His works are discussed Monday night at Mishkenot Shana’anim, with an appearance by the artist himself (speaking in German, with simultaneous Hebrew translation on offer). Advance reservations are required.
- On Tuesday, the Voca People bring their trademark of beat box infused a capella to the Jerusalem Theatre as part of their world tour.
- By Wednesday, we’ll have passed the halfway point of November, meaning winter is officially on its way. And what luck: The Malcha Mall has a festival for everything (well maybe not skis) you need for a winter of content, from tea to galoshes, parkas and more.
And we have all the events to fill up your fall and winter of content at our full events section, here.
