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)

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

This Post is sponsored by:
Plain & Fancy Catering Offering a Special Thanksgiving Dinner Delivered To Your Home in Jerusalem.
 Click here for details 

Have you ever taken your kids on an organized tour group and then wondered, why did I think working on someone else’s schedule would be a good idea?

Now there is a great new customized tour option for your family. AskJudy at Drive-Israel.com creates custom self-drive trips that fit your needs.  Judy offers customers a variety of options including tour guides that specialize in touring with families, drivers, suggestions of places to stay and eat and self driven tours. If you ever used a AAA TripTik in the US, then this is its Israeli brother. AskJudy has a vast knowledge of Israel and loves to help locals and tourists explore new areas of the country.

The following are some of the great trips that AskJudy can set up for you… 

• Caving Tour “Spelunking in the Footsteps of our Biblical Heroes” (just outside Jerusalem)
• Biking in the Judean Hills either with a guide or on your own
• Request a day trip from Jerusalem that includes olive oil and wine.

This Hanukka instead of waiting till the last minute to decide what to do…contact AskJudy judy@drive-israel.com  and have her create a custom family travel plan for you.

www.driveisrael.com

This summer was filled with exciting kids activities and festivals in Jerusalem. Thanks to our readers, both locals and tourists, for sending in pictures of their kids enjoying Jerusalem this summer. Jerusalem is a great city for kids of all ages.

Special thanks to Shlomo Katz for providing the music from his new CD Malei Olam.

FUN IN JERUSALEM Summer 2009 Kids Events Video

Events, Festivals and Activities Featured in the Fun In Jerusalem Video

Museum Activities
Bible Lands Family Activity, Israel Museum Archaeological Tel, Bloomfield Science Museum Water Exhibit & Luna Park Exhibit, Butterfly House at the Botanical Gardens, Caricature Exhibit at Tower of David,  Art Workshops at Museum of Islamic Art

Mall Activities
Tim Tam mischakiya Hadar Mall, Pirate Show at Malcha Mall

Festivals
Gush Etzion Cherry Festival June 2009,  Israel Museum Kite Festival August 2009, One Square Meter Poetry Festival, Hutzot Hayotzer August 2009,
 
FUN Attractions
Ammunition Hill, Rampart’s Walk, Eretz Breishit, Nature Museum Dinosaur Exhibit, Biblical Zoo,  Kef Tzuba, Hezkiyahu Water Tunnels,  Baby Shape Exercise Class, Jerusalem Pools,  Light Rail Open House

For a full list of upcoming events for kids in Jerusalem visit our Calendar of Events

For a full list of kids attractions in Jerusalem visit our Fun List

Dig For A Day: Archeological Seminars 

Beit Guvrin National Park 02-586-2011

This is a great family activity outside of Jerusalem on Tel Maresha in Beit Guvrin. The Dig for a Day program runs three hours. The activity includes: digging, sifting, pottery examination and touring the National Park of Beit Guvrin with an exciting crawl through unexcavated cave systems. Excavations are of the Hellenistic or Second Temple level.  Wear clothes that can get dirty and closed shoes, and bring water to drink. Do not bring valuables with you.  Children under five years old are the parents’ absolute responsibility.

Opening Hours:
Call for reservations and times. 02-586-2011
or email office@archesem.com

Ticket Prices:
For the Dig for a Day (doesn’t include park entry)
Adults: $30
Children (5-14) $25

National Park Beit Guvrin
Adult 23 NIS
Child 12 NIS

Meeting Place:

Meet at the Beit Guvrin gas station.  There your guide will greet you and lead you (still in your vehicle) up through the National Park to the dig area.  Digging is done in rain or shine since it is in underground caves.

How To Get to Dig for A Day…

By Car: From Jerusalem take highway 1 going towards Tel Aviv. Exit at Beit Shemesh. This road becomes Route 38.  Continue straight (past Beit Shemesh, kibbutzim and moshavim, etc.) on this road for about 30 minutes, until you come to a ‘T’ junction.  There you turn RIGHT towards the Beit Guvrin National Park (orange Park sign, route 35 on a map). Continue about 700 meters, or two minutes, up the road.  On your right you will see a large gas station (Delek) with a restaurant. That is the meeting place.

By Taxi: If you take a taxi to the dig, you must arrange return transportation in advance, as there are no taxis at Beit Guvrin.  Have the driver wait with you at the gas station while you are checked in and then follow our staff car into the National Park.  The driver who picks you up at the end of the activity (three hours later) must pick you up at the same place in the Park and not at the gas station.