Oh yes, an Ice Festival, in Jerusalem!

From 6th March right through to the 30th April 2012, this amazing festival means you’ll be able to ice-skate, ice-slide, and even drink at the ice-bar!

The festival will happen at the city’s old train station compound and will include an awesome display of legendary Jerusalem attractions sculptured in ice, including the Israel Museum’s famous Shrine of the Book, the Tower of David and the new tourist attraction in town, the Jerusalem Light Rail. The sculptures will be created by a team of famed Chinese ice sculptors (the Chinese have one of the most amazing ice festivals in the world, held annually at Harbin).

There’s no need to worry about the oncoming heat (yes, April can often be pretty warm!) because the festival will be housed in a huge tent built specially for the festival. Temperatures will be down to -10 degrees Celsius to keep all those icy goodies frozen.

For tickets and more information about specific event times, contact Bimot: www.bimot.co.il (Hebrew only) (Tel: 02-6237000). This is expected to be a hugely popular event in Jerusalem, so get your tickets now!

Recommended for children aged 3+. If your kids want to ice-skate, they’ll have to be at least aged 7, or a minimum shoe size of 30.

Hours: 10am-10pm Sun-Thurs, Friday till 1:45pm and Saturday 7pm-10pm
Price: 65 shekels (if you’re a Jerusalem resident, ask for the locals discount!), ice-skating tickets are extra and cost 45 shekels for 30 minutes of skating.

And here’s just a wee glimpse of preparations for the Jerusalem Ice Festival…

Click here to view the embedded video.

From Sunday to Wednesday 25-28th December (from 10:30 to 16:00) you’ll be able to step back in time to the Hasmonean period in Jerusalem’s history at the impressive Tower of David Museum. Characters from the period will meet you at the door and accompany you on an interactive guided tour of the citadel.

Along the way, you’ll meet a pilgrim at the top of the Phasael Tower overlooking Jerusalem, new and old; examine the Hasmonean wall that stretches out into the courtyard of the citadel; discover the ballista catapult stones from the time period that were excavated next to the walls of the citadel; enter the moat that will be open during Hanukkah and there participants will receive training in catapult throwing! The guided tour ends with a meeting with Miriam the Hasmonean (the second wife of Herod renowned for her beauty).

There’s also a Children’s Story Hour with Guy Alon as he tells stories and legends of light, magic and miracles, in Hebrew, plus Arts and Crafts workshops.

Prices: Child – 35 shekels, Adult – 25 shekels.
Prices include entrance to the Museum and the permanent exhibition of the history of Jerusalem.

Recommended highly for families with kids aged between 5-10.

For more info call 02-6265333 or *2884.

Click here for more great Hanukkah activities for all the family!

Those of you counting the calories will be sorely tempted by the wide variety of donuts on sale everywhere (see our explanation behind Hanukkah to understand why donuts are a major part of the holiday), while local kids are off school and badgering parents to take them to one of the variety of shows and performances targeted for kids over the holiday.

So, besides stuffing your kids with sweet donuts, or dragging them round the Christmas sites (here’s our guide to the top things to see and do at Christmas to feel festive!), how about one of these five things we’ve picked out below (and yes, we’ve chosen not to include the traditional BIG kids show at Hanukkah, the Festigal, as it’s just one big commercial juggernaut these days). They’ll probably only be in Hebrew, but for some of them it’s all about the entertainment, and less about the language…

* The ticket prices listed below are before any discounts; you will quite often find tickets at half-price through one promotion or another. We recommend you ask about discounts when purchasing.

The Israel Ballet performs Cinderella

Take your kids for some top-class culture – the Israel Ballet are on tour! From 19th-29th December you can catch performances in Modiin, Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, Jerusalem, Haifa and Beersheva. Tickets are priced at 179 shekels. For more info, call 03-6046610.

Momentito

From the guys behind the long-running Mayumana, this musical, creative and humorous show runs from 20-31st December in Haifa, with up to 4 shows a day. Recommended ages: 2-10. See the clip at the end of this article for an idea of what to expect. Tickets are priced at 170 shekels. For more, see www.mayumana.com or call *2274.

Bamba Factory Tour

Learn all about Israel’s national snack, Bamba, that peanut-flavored delight, at the huge Bamba (Osem) factory in HaMelacha Street in Holon (Tel Aviv suburb). FREE to join the tour, you MUST reserve a spot in advance: call 1-700-707676. Ideal for ages 5+. And for any Bamba addicts…

Prodigy Festival

This festival of very talented singing kids (yes, child prodigies), aged 9-14, will be held at the Diona Center in Ashdod. The one-off show on 25th December will be a tribute to much loved Israeli songwriter Uzi Hitman, who wrote and sang many classic children’s songs. Tickets are 20 shekels. For more info, call 08-8648585.

Home Alone

The Hebrew version of the Macaulay Culkin classic, so even if you don’t understand the lingo, the scenes should be familiar. This one you can catch between the 19th -30th December in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, Beersheva and Ashkelon. The show features many Israeli TV stars, and tickets are priced (initially) at 180 shekels. Call *6226 for more info.

Honorary mentions…

And in addition to the above, we’d also recommend a trip to the magical Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, the Tower of David Museum (including catapult throwing!), Mini Israel, or even the old classic, the Luna Park amusement park. Bear in mind these three sites are some of Israel’s most popular, so may well be packed to the rafters during Hanukkah…

Here’s that clip we promised of the guys from Momentito…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Taking place during the Sukkot holiday on Friday 14th October, the Winner sponsored Crosstown bike ride is the perfect event to keep all happy.

And it’s also going to be the safest time ever to take a ride round Tel Aviv (apart from Yom Kippur) as the main streets will be closed off.

The routes (and there are 3 of them: the 7km family route, the 21km medium route and the 40km advanced route) all start and end at Kikar Medina. So not too exhaustive, however capable your kids are…

There will also be lots of goodies to enjoy, including a concert by the Girafot, bike shows, and a spinning marathon for those preferring not to cruise the streets of Tel Aviv.

For details and registration: http://www.shvoong.co.il/minisites/sovevTLV/ (only in Hebrew unfortunately)

Now in it’s third year, this is a great little festival, family-friendly with some great tunes (Hendrix, Dylan, Joplin, etc) to kick off your shoes and dance barefoot to…your kids are also welcome, as there’ll be lots of painting of faces, juggling and other 60s goodies to bestow upon them!

The action kicks off at 5pm, and lasts until late night. And the Kraft Stadium is your chosen destination (between Binyanei HaUma and Gan Sacher).

And if you’re really in the mood for some flares and beads, don’t forget to enter yourself for the Best Dressed Hippy competition!

A quick rundown of the music you’ll be able to catch:

• Yael Dekelbaum plays Janis Joplin & Joni Mitchell
• Tree tributes Grateful Dead
• Long Time Gone with Creedence Clearwater Revival
• Libi & The Flash play Joe Cocker & Cream
• Clare Diane & Graffiti with Woodstock Highlights
• Pritzat Disc covers Jimi Hendrix & Led Zeppelin
• Natan Galili sings Bob Dylan

As one of the organizers, Danny Gewirtz, puts it:

Unlike Woodstock ’69, we promise there won’t be any mud, but along with Rock ‘n’ Roll and hippies of all ages, we hope to bring back the feeling of love, as in our previous two years. The peace we’ll leave to the politicians.

For further info about the Woodstock Revival, check out their Facebook page. For tickets, which are between 70-90 shekels, call 02-6236443.

Every year the guys from Jerusalem Hug, an organization aimed at bringing peace, freedom and joy to all, hold an event at the walls of the Old City in an attempt to do their bit for Peace in the Middle East.

It’s a very relaxed thing, with songs, music, prayer and a few things the kids can do (finger painting for example). Expect Jerusalem residents both Israeli and Palestinian to be there, as well as anybody interested in peace…

Might not be for all, but we love the enthusiasm, and hey, doesn’t everybody want Peace in the Middle East?

And just so you know, this time next year the planets are aligned and many believe that this will be the time for peace (what, you don’t believe me?). Jerusalem will be a major focal point for this peace effort, with many pilgrims expected to visit the Holy City.

The guys from the Jerusalem Hug team have already got permission to set up a pyramid of light (see here), in next year’s Festival of Lights. Could be interesting!

So what are you waiting for – go hug!

This is what they hugged about a couple of years ago…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Now celebrating it’s 15th year (wow, I remember going to the very first one!), Ta’am Ha’ir kicks off tomorrow evening (13th June) and lasts til Thursday night (the 16th). The action starts at 18:00 each evening, and lasts til the last belly is full…or the last morsel has been wolfed down.

Tel Aviv’s best restaurants (see our guides to the ten most awesome Tel Aviv restaurants and the very best restaurants, cafes and bars of 2010) and wineries will have samples of their best dishes and drinks on offer, all at special prices (the average dish will be something like 30-35 shekels!).

It’s a great night out, with lots of people, lots of food, live bands, celebrity Israeli chefs plying their trade, and even workshops for kids. And all mixed up with a heavy dose of summertime vibes…

Here’s a taste of what Ta’am Ha’ir is all about…yummy!!

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Old City of Jerusalem is once again the site for this awesome festival, running for seven days between 15-22 June, each evening from 8:00-12:00pm. You might want to get there early, as it’s fast become a BIG attraction. To give you an idea of how big, last year some 250,000 people visited the festival.

There are a number of special light exhibits (free to get in) plus street events and performances, a light fair in the Davidson Centre Archeological Garden and four different trails through the Old City which lead you round a number of illuminated sites and installations. And, of course, you have the amazing Old City sites themselves…

This year the Festival explores the relationship between light and sound and the senses of sight and hearing, plus how a visual experience can enhance an audio experience and vice versa.

Artists are expected from around the world, including the French TILT group, who will be here once again with their amazing garden of light at Jaffa Gate.

For full details, check out the official website: www.lightinjerusalem.org.il (unfortunately they haven’t yet updated the English section for 2011…)

And here’s a taste of the action from last year…

Click here to view the embedded video.

The 500 square meter rink opened up last Thursday (March 10th) and will be open until April 14th. All are invited, as long as you’re older than 6, between the hours of 10:00 and 23:00. I’m taking a really wild guess and predicting this place will be packed during the upcoming Purim and Pessach (Passover) holidays. You have been warned.

To make your ice skating experience in Jerusalem complete, muzak will be piped over the airwaves, while there are also coffee shops and other goodies to buy inside a marquee alongside the rink. If you’re into your hockey, there will be ice hockey competitions and celebs from around the country and abroad.

The Israeli Ice Hockey Federation (NHL) will also be showing us what’s what on the ice-rink with a nightly hockey tournament over four nights.

Price to get in: Adults 40 shekels, children 30 shekels.

Get your skates on!

There’s plenty to see and do at Derech HaEtz and the place is surprisingly big. You should start off with the house movie about trees and their role in our lives, and then get a quick lecture about what the park holds. At this point you might be reeling at the details of the Paulina tree, which grows an astonishing 6 meters a year. The park has its own little forest of Paulina trees you can check out. Surely a great solution to the ongoing world deforestation?

Then head down with the little ones to build your own toy boat. Nails and hammers and glue are provided; just watch your fingers when the little ones get hold of the hammers. Once built, race your boat against others on a specially created pond, making sure to check out which way the wind is blowing so as to give yourselves a head-start. Hey, it’s a serious business is toy boat racing, especially with competitive 4 year olds in tow…

You can also attend the drum workshop (I believe it’s on the hour, every hour), where you get taught how to play like a South American carnival god, and work out your navigation skills in the specially crafted maze (from, er, wood).

Apparently there are also camping facilities at Derech HaEtz, but I didn’t spot them. You might want to give them a call before you commit to the idea.

All in all, a great little spot to check out if you are in the neighborhood (or even on the road to/from the Sea of Galilee).

How to get there: Head up towards the Sea of Galilee (the Kineret), through the town of Afula on Road 65. Once you get to Kfar Tavor, take a right at the junction directing you towards the Sea of Galilee. After about 5 minutes, lookout for Shadmot Dvora on your right. Once you enter this moshav, just follow the signposts to Derech HaEtz. It’s about 90 minutes drive from Tel Aviv and about 20 minutes from the Sea of Galilee.

Telephone: 04-6620606

Operating Hours: 08:00 – 16:00

Price: Not expensive, I think it was 50 shekels for a family of four (under 3s get in for free).

OK, so there have been a few small gamer-fests over the last few years (I remember hearing about this Tekken 5 competition, while I’m sure there have been many others), but this one looks like it’s going to be BIG. Backed up and promoted by one of Israel’s premier mobile telephone companies (Cellcom), there are some great gaming missions for enthusiast and beginner alike. That’s right, bring your Dad, bring the kids, even bring grandpa!

As well as some classic contests, including a Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare shootout (perhaps the most popular first-person shooter game ever) a FIFA09 tournament, and a Need For Speed Undercover driving competition, there are some other great challenges, including some very familiar to those of you who don’t know how to twiddle your way around a joystick:

• Want to feel like you’re playing in an action movie? Sign up for The Target and join a group of 3-5 people who are, of course, Special Forces, with a mission to find a top mafioso using a GPS cellphone.
• Like Tetris? Think you can handle a giant screen of lights as your tetris wall?
• Think you were born to jiggy? Well, here’s your chance – a dance mat showdown. He/she who lasts longest is the champion.
• Feeling flexible? How about a classic round of Twister, on a giant Twister mat?
• Need more game classics, with a touch of spice? Then maybe Simon Says on Trampolines is for you – when Simon says a color, you have to jump on to the right colored trampoline!

You can get a complete rundown on what’s going to be happening at the Festival here (unfortunately only in Hebrew). Activities start at 8pm both nights and are scheduled to conclude at 2am. Entrance to the Festival is FREE!

And if you (or grandpa) are in need of some alternative entertainment, don’t forget to check out Tel Aviv Port’s Night Market, on Thursday evening.

Tel Aviv transforms itself into Comic City this week! If you’re a big fan of comics and animation in general, you might fancy popping along to the

You’ll be able to catch a whole bunch (hundreds of them if you’re really keen) of animated films, many of them award-winners, and also be able to take part in various workshops, buy comics and so on. Bring the kids, they’ll also have plenty of things to keep them busy.

Some of Israel’s leading animation artists will be taking part, with a special honour being handed out to Danny Kerman, who will also be exhibiting some Tel Aviv caricatures as part of Tel Aviv’s 100th birthday extravaganza.

And see that little cartoon guy at the top of this article? His name is  Srulik, a legendary figure in Israeli culture and created by Israeli cartoonist Dosh. Dosh’s daughter, Daniela Gardosh, is going to host a meeting about the famous character. For Israeli culture buffs, this could be a great little meet-up.

You can also catch, among other things, a tribute to The Beatles via local pop star Danny Robas (Wednesday and Saturday at 10:30pm), “Celebs and the City” which will include animated figures of local celebs, and much, much more.

Tickets range from 25-60 shekels, depending on the workshop or exhibition; 60 shekels will get you into everything, which is a bit of a bargain. For more information, check out www.anicomfestival.co.il (no English, unfortunately), or call the guys at the Cinematheque on 03-6060823.