Fun In Jerusalem

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)

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.

Castel Fortress, Israel

Castel Fortress on The Road To Jerusalem

There is no better way to teach children about the History of Israel than to be able to show them the actual locations of crucial battles. Today, the road to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv winds uphill, a black ribbon surrounded by trees, greenery and small villages dotting the landscape. Sixty years ago, it was the site of the most crucial battles during the War of Independence. The battleground for Jerusalem, it was said, was the width of that road.
 
The History:

The Castel overlooks the main road to Jerusalem.  The word Castel means castle, in French. French Crusaders, a thousand years ago, built a fortress on the top of the highest mountain in the area, giving them a military advantage over those who lived along the route of the main road. After the Crusaders left, Arabs lived in the area, in a village they called Castel. This village gave them the military advantage over the road.
 
Tel Aviv was, and still is, the main portal in the country, whether by boat or plane. During and after the Shoah, Jews arrived to the country from Europe and many moved to Jerusalem.  In order to prevent this, the Arabs tried to cut off Jerusalem from the main population clusters, on the coast. They did this by sniping at the Jewish drivers coming with supplies from the coast, to supply Jerusalem. Food, water, medicine and personnel were unable to come through, and hunger became a real danger for Jews in Jerusalem. Our Holy City was under siege!

The Tour:

Once you park and start walking up the path, you’ll find an outdoor “plaza” with different ’stations’ and signs about the battles, beginning in April 1948. The battle for Jerusalem started with Operation Nachshon. Nachshon ben Aminadav, according to our tradition, was the first to step into the Red Sea, which led to the great miracle of the parting of the Red Sea, during our exodus from Egypt. The Zionist leaders named this important operation after Nachshon Ben Aminadav because they realized that war was at hand and this could be the beginning of the  independence of the State of Israel. 
 
Keep walking up the hill, to the top. There are bunkers and trenches you can enter along the way, which will give you and your children a real feeling for how the Jewish soldiers felt at the time.

A Battle Story:

There is a story to be told here, about Abd El Khader El Husseini, the Arab army commander. He understood the importance of holding on to the Castel as an Arab stronghold, but the Israeli Palmach fighters captured it the night of April 5-6. The Arabs knew they had to get it back!  In the battle the next night, Abd El Khader el Husseini, himself, went to fight–and was never heard from again. It’s only later on that his soldiers realized that he had died in battle. They were very upset, and gathered their men to return and fight the Palmachnikim. In a very bloody battle, in which almost all the Jews were killed, the Arabs conquered the Castel again. When they did, they discovered the body of their leader, Abd el Khader el Husseini.  They quickly brought his body to Jerusalem, to be buried in a hero’s funeral on the Temple Mount. While they were all at the funeral, more Jewish fighters came and recaptured the Castel and the Castel has remained in Israeli hands ever since.
 
Activities:

Movie:There is a movie about the location and its’ battles in the cavelike bunker on the top of the hill.

Model: There is a model demonstrating the battles.

Views:From the top of the hill, you can see Har Nof, which is the area of Deir Yassin, the Arab village that was the site of the battle the next day. You can also see neighboring villages, Maaleh Hachamisha, Shoresh, Motzah, Har Adar, and more. Today, they are beautiful built up communities.

Getting There:Take Route 1 from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv and turn off at the Mevasseret Zion junction, and follow the signs to the Castel. The roads are very narrow, and even if you think it can’t be thru there, it is!

Article Guest Author: 
Esti Herskowitz is a wonderful tour guide based out of Jerusalem. She is a great storyteller and has the most amazing Tanach (Bible) with thousands of post it notes in it. She brings a location ALIVE with stories, history and activities. Esti has led tours for adults but has a great knack for bonding with kids and knowing what they will enjoy. She led my family on a fabulous tour of Cesarea and kept the kids ages 9-1 entertained the whole time. You can reach Esti at st_tours@netvision.net.il

The Temple Mount Sifting Operation in the City of David is one of Fun In Jerusalem’s favorite “FUN for the whole family” activities.

On a hot Friday morning during Succot 2009, I took my kids (ages 6 and 3) along with their cousins (ages 8-3) to the Emek Tzurim National Park for a great Sifting Activity. After a brief description of the location and instructions, the sifting began. The kids were given buckets of rubble to pour into their sifting nets. They were then given hoses of water to use to spray on the dirt to begin the sifting process. Experienced guides and archaeologists were on hand to teach us how to tell the difference between regular rocks and precious pieces of pottery and mosaic. (The green glass from a modern day beer bottle was quickly set aside in the junk pile.)

The kids were then able to sort the items they found which included ancient glass, mosaic stones, pieces of jewelry, pottery and even nails and pieces of weaponry.  The rubble that is sifted comes from the Temple Mount and visitors are given the job to begin the sifting process. It is a win win situation for the archaeologists who are able to teach the visitors (adults and children) about ancient artifacts and to use the extra manpower to begin the sifting process. The entire activity takes 2 hours but you are able to leave earlier if you need to.

My 6 year old was definitly disappointed when he found out that he couldn’t keep the treasures that he found, but he was equally excited to receive a certificate that said that he played a key role in the Temple Mount Antiquities Salvage Operation. It was fun for the whole family and even my 3 year old enjoyed it, although I had to keep a close eye on him.

Visiting Tips

• Parking is at the top of the valley and there are over 200 steps to take to get to the work tent (my son counted them as he came down )
• The site is not stroller accessible.
• The work area is covered with a tarp but even on a hot day it felt cool in the tent
• Wear clothes that can get dusty and muddy.
• Drinks and Ice Cream are available for purchase
• There are port-a-potty toilets next to the work area.
• Tours are available in Hebrew and English
• Reservations are required

For hours and reservations please call the City of David Reservations at *6033.

Mount of Olives Archeological Experience
Emek Tzurim
Adult: 15 NIS
Student: 15 NIS
Senior Citizen/Child: 12 NIS

How To Get To The Emek Tzurim National Park…
By Car
Take Route 60 past the Old City towards French Hill. Make a right when you see the Hebrew University Sculpture. Drive straight and stay in the right lane. When you see a tunnel stay to the right and DO NOT enter the tunnel. Make a right at the Mormon University sign. Free parking is available on the street and enter the valley at the City of David sign. Look for the black tent at the bottom of the steps. (This path is not wheelchair or stroller accessible). 

By Bus:
19, 28, 26, 23, 4, 30, 48

For other great City of David Activities for kids, teens and adults visit our City of David Post.