Fun In Jerusalem

Run With the Children of SHALVA at the Jerusalem Half Marathon

This is a great opportunity for your children to participate in a memorable Jerusalem event this month. The Jerusalem Half Marathon on March 18, 2010 will include a special 400m track for the children of SHALVA with mental and physical disabilities. This is the first time in the 18 year history of the marathon that there will be a special track.

SHALVA has invited your children and teens to partner with a SHALVA child, give them a chance to get to know the child at the Har Nof campus in advance and then to run with them on the 400m track.  Help spread the SHALVA message that disabled children should have an equal place in society.

Run hand-in-hand with a SHALVA child and help them achieve their goals. SHALVA is expecting to have over 60 children running on the special track. The event begins at 8:30am and there will be a special end of the race ceremony as well.

SHALVA is a wonderful organization based in Har Nof. To get a full understanding of what they do you only need to walk around their campus. The building is filled with love and joy and you will see children of all ages from babies to teenagers enjoying the facilities. They have special facilities for physically and mentally challenged children including

• Music room
• Sensory room
• Special integrated Gan (which has a long waiting list)
• Arts & Crafts
• Indoor Pool for hydrotherapy
• Me & Mommy Classes
• Support groups for families
• Specially designed park
• Kitchen where children can learn to cook
• Bedrooms for sleepovers 

Children come to the center to enjoy the facilities, have therapy and spend time with friends, counselors and volunteers  in the afternoon.

The most special room in the building is the Beit Knesset where children with special needs can celebrate their Bar Mitzva. SHALVA often receives requests from families abroad requesting to use their Beit Knesset for their spacial needs Bar Mitzvas. For information about Volunteer opportunities for teens at SHALVA please call Talia Simantov 02-651-9555.

Contact marathon@shalva.org and let them know you would like your child to partner with a SHALVA runner. Please make sure to send us your pictures of the race!

Purim in Jerusalem 

Purim celebrations have begun and will continue through Monday. Our Calendar of Events is packed with great activities for the whole family. The following is a taste of what’s available. Keep in mind that the weather report calls for Rain but many of the activities listed below can be enjoyed indoors.

• Purim Carnivals
• Museums
• Theater
• Community Events & Just Plain Fun

Purim Carnivals: for more details visit our Calendar

Mamila Mall 
 
Date: Monday March 1, 2010 (RAIN OR SHINE)
Time: 12:00pm-4:00pm
Activities:
-A colorful Purim Parade at 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm
-A Kids’ Playground: Above Castro store from 12pm-4pm
-The missing midget – mind games on magnetic boards
-Juggling workshop for the whole family
-Circus show at 12:30pm in the amphitheater
-Rap Circus: Juggling show with Rap music at 1:30pm
-Interactive Circus Show at 2:30pm
Price: FREE

PurShalayim – Street Fair on Rechov Hillel 
 
A Large Spectacular Purim Carnival in the Center of the City
-Outdoor Childrens’ Theater
-Learn to Juggle, walk on a rope and more
-Costume Contest
-Don Lenny Gabbay Performs-Children’s Channel and Shminiya star (12:30p-m)
-Avihu Shabat Performs (1:20pm)
-Omar Adam Performs (2:00pm)
Date: Monday 11:00-3:00pm
Price: FREE

Beit Shmuel
Animal Carnival: games, juggling, shows, workshops
Date: Monday 9:00am-2:00pm (Indoors)
Contact: 02-620-3463

Theater:

Jerusalem Theater
“Purim Musical” Monday 9:45am-12:30pm
Ages: 4-10 (Hebrew)
Price: 40 NIS

“Snow White” Monday 5:30pm
Ages: 3+ (Hebrew)
Price: 75 NIS
Contact: 02-560-5755

Binyanei Hauma:
“HOP Live, Purim Carnival”
Date: Sun & Mon 10am-7pm
Activities: Movies, Jumpy castles, games, virtual reality games for teens, shows
Contact:02-623-7000

Khan Theater
“Stolen Dreams”
Date: Sunday 5pm
Ages: 6+ (Hebrew)
Contact: 02-671-8281

Train Theater
Purim Shpiel in the circus
Date: Sat, Sun, Mon
Activities: Professional Photos with magical scenery, craft workshop
Plays: “The Cubes Circus” and “Little Big Man” (ages 4+)
Price: 30 NIS (1 show + workshop + photo)
Dress: Children should come dressed as circus figure
Location:Liberty Bell Park, 1 Jabotinsky St
Contact: 02-5618514

Museums: For more details visit our Calendar

Italian Jewish Museum: Queen Esther’s Italian courtyard
Activities:
-Visit the glorious Italian courtyard of Queen Esther.
-Megilla- The story of the Book of Esther will be read in Italian baroque style in the Synagogue at 8am
-Exhibit- Rare Megillot Esther Manuscripts
Date: Monday 10:00am-3:00pm (Indoors)
Price: Free
Contact: 02-624-1610

Underground Prisoners Museum 
Activities:
-Tours of the Museum including Acting segments at 12pm & 2pm (Hebrew)
-Family mission game – ”Mystery in the Prison Hallways”(Hebrew)
-Workshops: “To inscribe and be inscribed”– inscribing signs and symbols on plaster tiles
-”Weaving time”– create small “boresh” similar to the mats that the prisoners used to sleep on.
Date: Sun & Mon 9am-5pm (Indoors)
Address:1 Mishol HaGvora St. (Russian Compound, near City Hall complex)
Contact: 02-6233166
 
Tower of David Museum 
Activities:
Mayumana, rhythm workshop for parents and children.  Children can use sticks, buckets, tins and their own bodies as surprising musical instruments. Please wear comfortable, light cloths and sport shoes.
Date: Monday 12:00pm (RAIN OR SHINE)
Ages: 7+
Price (including entrance to the museum): 50 NIS (Child) 25 NIS (Adult)
Reservations Required: 02-6265333 www.towerofdavid.org.il 

Bloomfield Science Museum 
Activities:
-Humorist play about Darwin and his voyage on the ”Beagle” (Hebrew) at 1:00pm (15 NIS)
-Tours of the kinetic sculptures, Flight and leaning Tower of Pisa (Hebrew)
-DNA & Building Workshops
Date: Sat 10am-3pm, Sun & Mon 10am-6pm (Indoors)

Old Yishuv Court Museum 
Activities:
-10:30 – guided tour of the ”Why a hat? Why a handkerchief ”?
-11:00 – story time
-Mission game: ”Exhibits in disguise”
-Hat workshop
-Old fashioned costumes and games in the museum
Opening hours in Purim: (Indoors)
Sunday -10:00am-1:00pm
Monday –10:00am–1:00pm
Contact: 02-6284636, 052-4002478

Israel Museum 
Activities:
-Workshop: Create footstools from recycled material.
Date: Sun & Mon (Indoors)
Price: 10 NIS for workshop (free museum admission for kids on Mon)
Contact: 02-6771302
 

Community Events-for details visit our calendar
-Costume Competition at the Garden on Maaglei Yavne (Sunday)
-Magic Show at Ohel Nechama (Sunday)
-Baka Matnas Purim Party (Sunday)
-Toddler Megilla Reading and Games (Sunday)
-Gheppetos Wood Workshop is open for Childrens sessions (Sun & Mon)
-Biblical Zoo Art Workshops and Mishloach Manot for the animals (Sun & Mon)
-Costume Comeptition at Kef Tzuba (Sun & Mon)
-Cinemateque ET & Shrek (Sunday)

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.

 

Tu B’Shvat for Kids in Jerusalem

In Jerusalem and through out Israel, Tu Bshvat is a celebrated holiday. Not only because it fills the gap between Chanukka and Purim but because planting trees, plants and flowers in Israel is such an important part of Israeli culture.

Many communities host Tu Bshvat Seders, community planting and you can find dried fruit on every street corner. The following are a list of events happening around town that children and teenagers can enjoy.

Community Gardening

Most of the weekly community gardening projects including Halafta “Ginot Shimrit” and the garden in the Nature Museum are hosting special Tu Bshvat parties with planting, music and food. 

• Ginot Ha’ir: Thursday January 28 at 10:00am-12:00pm join Nir Barkat and Naomi Tsur as they celebrate Tu Bshvat at the community garden in Gonenim on Maaglei Yavne. 
• Community Garden Events

1. January 27, 2010
   10:00am – Ramat Eshkol, Ha’hamisha Asar garden, Tzofim forest, Ramat Ha’golan St.
   3:00pm – Talpiot Mizrach, Derech Hevron garden, Derech Hevron 148 St.
   4:00pm – Ramot, Ha’shavshavot garden, Karni St. corner of Reuven Mas.
2. January 28, 2010
   10:00am – Ramot, Ya’ar Ramot, Derech Ha’choresh St.
3. January 29, 2010
   9:00am – Kiryat Yovel, Bustania, near the Tree garden
   10:00am – Ramot, Ya’ar Ramot, Derech Ha’choresh St.
4. January 31, 2010
   3:00pm – Kiryat Yovel, Ulsvanger garden, Ulsvanger st.
5. February 2, 2010
   4:30pm – Sh’muel Ha’navie, Shkediot garden, Eretz Hefetz 102 St.

Tu Bshvat Events

• Jerusalem Biblical Zoo: January 29 11:00am-2:30pm. Plant flowers and plants. Art workshop. Taste fruits of the land.
• Jerusalem Botanical Gardens: January 28 & 29 at 4:00pm. Be a part of planting a carpet of 12,000 flowers and hear special tree stories. Friday January 29 12:30pm-2:30pm Trees and storytime. 1:30pm Storytime Hike around the gardens. Saturday January 30 12pm& 2pm family storytime and hike. Check our calendar for more details.
• Municipality Events: Friday January 29 10:00am-3:00pm Join Pepe Alalou at Kikar Zion in the center of town with music, street theater, artists and a Tu BShvat seder. FREE
• Keren Kayemet L’Israel: Call their hotline for information on hikes and planting in Jerusalem and through out the country 1-800-350-550
• Tu B’Shvat at Shai Agnon’s House (Talpiot): Storytelling, art workshop and a short video. Thursday January 28 from 4:00pm-6:00pm and Friday January 29 from 10:00am-12:00pm. For more details visit our calendar. 
• SPNI Tu Bshvat: Celebrate the plans to build a nature park in Deer Valley “Emek Hatzabaim”. Friday January 29,  12:30pm-2:30pm. Music, Art workshops, Recycling workshop, bake pita and tour the valley.  
• Bloomfield Science Museum: Friday January 29 and Saturday January 30. Celebrate Tu Bshvat by learning about the connection between Global Warming and planting trees.

Tu B’Shvat Arts & Crafts Ideas

• Creative Jewish Mom: Tu B’shvat Spice Project
• Birkat Chaverim: Learn to make Dried Fruit Trees

If you know of an additional event or have a creative art project you would like to share feel free to email us at info@funinjerusalem.com

The following is a list of events and attractions for kids and teens in Jerusalem that are a little out of the ordinary. Since January is not an Israeli school vacation time, make sure to call in advance to confirm tour and exhibit hours. Ask for an English tour; most museums and attractions will try to comply.