Fun In Jerusalem

Pesach Kaytana: Spring Day Camp

The week before Pesach is school vacation for kids in Jerusalem. There are a variety of Spring Day Camp options for parents who need the time to prepare for Pesach. It is a great opportunity to teach your children art, sports and more.
The following is a list of local camps. If you know of more feel free to add them to the comments section or to email us.

YMCA: King David Street
Ages:Gan Chova-6th Grade
Dates: March 21-25
Time: 8am-3pm
Cost: 500 NIS
Includes: Morning Snack and hot kosher lunch, swimming, sports, art and more.
Contact: 02-569-2684

Ein Yael “Saba Jack” Horseback Riding School
Includes: Horseback riding, Taking care of horses, dog training and more
Hours: 8am-1pm
Dates:March 22-28th
Contact: 02-645-3573 (after 4pm) or 050-680-1985

Ein Yael Pesach Kaytana
Includes:Arts & Crafts, cheese making, milking cows, recycling workshop, storytime, bow and arrow, cooking and more.
Hours: 8am-3:30pm
Dates:March 21-25th
Cost: 550 NIS (Includes snack and lunch)
Contact: 02-645-1866

Bible Lands
Dates: March 21-25
Times: 8:30am-1:00pm
Includes: Tours of the Museum, art workshops, cooking, games, plays and costumes
Ages: 1st-5th Grade
Contact: 02-561-1066

ICCC
Date: March 21-28, 2010
Cost: 700 NIS 8am-1:00pm, 930 NIS 8am-3:30pm (includes lunch)
“Chess & Sports” Spring Camp: Chess, Basketball, Soccer, Frisbee, Table Tennis
“Tasting & Creative” Spring Camp: Art, Painting, Cooking
Ages: 1st grade -5th grade
Contact: 02-566-4144, 052-268-8666
Location:12 Emek Refaaim

El Halev: IMPACT (Girls Self Defense Course)
Date: March 22-25th 10:00am-2:00pm
Cost: 1000 NIS
Ages: 12-17
Location:Pierre Kenig 37, Talpiot
Contact: 02-678-1764
www.elhalev.org

Israel Museum: Art Festival Day Camp
Activities: Landscape painting, portraits, collage, sculpture, still life
Dates: March 21-25th 8:30am-1:30pm
Ages: Gan Chova-5th Grade
Cost: 110 NIS per day (can register per day)
Reservations Required Contact: 02-670-8960

Check our Calendar of Events for other activities going on the week before Pesach and on Chol Hamoed.

Last week Kibbutz Ramat Rachel hosted the annual Balloonland Convention for Balloon artists from around the world. The event is put on each year by Elisa from www.balloonland.co.il. Balloon artists from around the country come to Jerusalem to enjoy workshops and classes. Some of the guests included Medical Clowns, who use their talents to entertain sick children in the hospital.

This year the local children from the community were given a chance to enjoy the spoils. Children lined up in the lobby of the Ramat Rachel Hotel for the Grand Finale Raffle. Balloons from the workshops including masks, crowns, flowers, columns, walls and more were raffled off to lucky children. The event was a huge success and the lobby was packed.

At the end of the event those who were still around even got to see some tricks of the trade as Elisa took down the balloons she had hung in the lobby with a long pole using magnets.

Balloonland offers balloon services for kids parties, bris, Bar/Bat Mitzva parties, centerpieces and more.

 

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Pirkei Avot with Yoni and Noni & Rav Beny

There is a new show in town …and its online. Your children can learn about Jewish ethics and special moral lessons while watching  cartoon clips on Ynet. This is not just your everyday cartoon. Pirkei Bubot is a wonderful new Hebrew puppet show staring Yoni, Noni and Rav Beny Lau. Each clip is 4 minutes long and topics include “Treat your friends toys like you would treat your own”, “Learn from others” & “Don’t be embarrassed to ask questions.”

Each clip covers one topic from Pirkei Avot (Ethics of Our Fathers) and relates it directly to kids lives today. New chapters are added each week.  When I watched the first video with my 6 year old son he said “I love this…Can I watch all 8 shows now?”. 

Rav Beny knows how to teach young children and entertain them at the same time. He has appeared on Rechov SumSum (Seame Street) and can be seen live each shabbat at Beit Knesset Ramban in the German Colony, Jerusalem.

You can find Pirkei Bubot on Ynet’s (Hebrew site) Judaism Channel.

***If you have any issues with Ynet’s choice of ads before the video feel free to email them at ads@y-i.co.il ***

 

It is clear that the winter has begun in Jerusalem. Let me share an interesting fact about the change of seasons in Jerusalem. It usually happens from one day to the next but this year we saw the seasons change within the same day. The morning was warm and sunny and by the afternoon the clouds moved in with a cold chill and rain. Although according to Sophie, our local weather expert, there is still a chance of a warm weekend, overall Jerusalem has entered Winter 2009-2010.

 

Now is the time to start thinking of new indoor activities for your kids. Below you will find a list of Jerusalem’s libraries. The municipality has planned a full weekly schedule of story hours in Hebrew, which can be found on our Calendar of Events. Each story hour costs 12 NIS per child (parents are free) and is best for children ages 4-7.

From past experience I would recommend calling the library to make sure it is open before you trek out in the rain or cold. If you visit one of these libraries please email info@funinjerusalem.com and let us know about parking and any other tips that parents would find useful.

***Click here for a Map of Jerusalem Libraries***

Armon Hanetziv 
13 Rechov Uli Hagardom (Minhal Kehilati Shaltiel) 02-6722448 
Sun, Mon, Wed, Thurs 2:00pm-7:00pm 
Tuesday   10:00am-2:00pm 

Baka 
3 Issaschar St.  02-6711734
Sun, Mon, Wed, Thurs 2:00pm-7:00pm 
Tuesday   10:00am-12:00pm 

Beit Hakerem 
137 Sderot Herzl (inside Beit Hasefer Ziv) 02-6423210 
Sun, Mon, Wed, Thurs 2:00pm-7:00pm 
Tuesday 9:00am-4:00pm

Beit Ross 
27 Rechov Nagara (Matnas Beit Ross) 02-6527232
Sun, Mon, Wed, Thurs 2:00pm-7:00pm 

Beit Ticho 
9 Harav Kook St  02-6245068
Sun-Thurs 2:30pm-7:00pm 

German Colony
22 Rechov Emek Refaaim (next to Conservatorion Hasadna) 02-563-9238 
Sun-Thurs 2:30pm-7:00pm 
Tuesday 10:00am-1:30pm 

Gilo 
Rechov Vardinon 12 (next to Mekif Gilo) 02-676-0295
Sun, Thurs 1:00pm-7:00pm 
Mon, Wed 1:00pm-7:00pm 
Tuesday  9:00am-1:00pm 

Har Nof 
48 Chai Taib 02-6526171 
Monday  4:00pm-8:00pm 
Tuesday  10:00am-1:00pm 
Wed, Thurs 4:00pm-7:00pm 

Neve Yaakov
38 Sderot Neve Yaakov 02-5834484 
Sun, Thurs 1:00pm-7:00pm 
Mon, Wed 1:00pm-7:00pm 
Tuesday  9:00am-1:00pm 

Katamon 
2 Eliezer Hagadol (next to the Denmark School) 02-6786225 
Sun, Mon, Wed, Thurs 2:00pm-7:00pm 
Tuesday 10:00am-4:00pm 

Kiryat Menachem 
10 Rechov Hachartzit 02-6310639
Sun, Mon, Wed, Thurs 2:00pm-7:00pm 

Kiryat Yovel 
Rechov Chile 8 (in the Matnas Philip Leon) 02-6424486
Sun, Mon, Wed, Thurs 2:00-7:00pm 
Tuesday   9:00am-1:00pm 

Old City Jewish Quarter
13 Rechov Hashoarim (next to the Matnas) 02-6261604 
Sun, Tues, Thurs 3:00pm-6:30pm 
Tuesday   9:00am-12:00pm 
Friday   9:00am-12:00pm 

Pisgat Zeev Mercaz
32 Rechov Hashisha Asar (in the school) 02-5838456 
Sun, Mon, Thurs 3:00pm-7:00pm 

Pisgat Zeev East
9 Rechov Meir Gershon 02-6566314 
Sun, Thurs 2:00pm-7:00pm 
Tuesday  9:00am-1:00pm 
Mon, Wed 2:00pm-6:30pm 

Ramat Eshkol (Meyerhof B)
3 Rechov Carl Neter (next to the Rena Kesen School) 02-5410777 
Sun, Mon, Wed, Thurs 12:30pm-6:45pm  
Tuesday  9:00am-1:00pm 

Ramot 
6 Rechov Recanati (next to the Matnas) 02-5869193
Sun, Thurs 1:30pm-7:00pm 
Monday  9:00am-2:00pm 
Tuesday, Wed 1:00pm-6:30pm

Fun In Jerusalem Reader Comment:
Parking: Street outside the library
Book Selection: Great Hebrew section, Large English section, Books for Sale
Kids Library: Set out well w/ tables for sitting, Upstairs and seperate from adult library
Fees: Security cheque of 100 shekels per book, which is not cashed, unless it is needed, for each Hebrew book you sign up for, you can take an English book as well (so, we have a card which allows 4 books, but that is 4 Hebrew PLUS 4 English).

-Ruth Kilner 

Rasko 
4 Shimoni St. 02-6788504
Sun, Mon, Wed, Thurs 3:00pm-7:00pm 
Tuesday 10:00am-2:00pm 

Russian Library 
2 Rechov Ha’or  02-5375723
Sun, Thurs 10:00am-7:00pm

Help Your Teenager Study For The Bagrut…And Contribute To The Community At The Same Time

Today, a very special community program is starting for the 7th year in a row. The ICCC on Emek Refaim invites teenagers in 10th, 11th grade and 12th grade to come and participate in a wonderful Bagrut tutoring program after school. Teenagers can come to the Nature Museum, in Jerusalem, to work with volunteer teachers and university students, who help them study for their Bagrut including English, Hebrew language and Math.

The program is in memory of Tani Goodman z”l, who died tragically in 12th grade in 2002. Tani’s life was cut short and he was not able to finish his Bagrut studies. Therefore his parents Maggie and Jerry Goodman, local community members, created this successful program to give local teenagers a head-start in their bagrut studies in Tani’s memory. The program attracts boys and girls from a variety of communities and schools within Jerusalem. The atmosphere is warm and fun, as the students learn in small groups and even begin to help each other out. The program includes over 20 adult volunteers, who come to teach the teenagers the skills they need to excel in the bagrut.

In return, students are asked to volunteer once a week in the local community.  Students can choose their own volunteer program and can rely on the ICCC to help them find a good place to volunteer. For many of the students, it’s their first experience volunteering in the community. By the end of the program students who have been through the program and continued on to the army, have returned to see if they could help out. The success of the program lies in the volunteers and the students. It’s a win win situation. To find out more details and to join the program, please contact Ran Lefler.

Location:Nature Museum on Rechov Hamagid
Hours:
Sunday 6:00pm-8:00pm (English & Hebrew Language)
Thursday 6:00pm-8:00pm (Math)
Program Coordinator: Ran Lefler 054-635-5901 ran@m-tarbut.org.il