I have always loved music. In fact the radio is always on in my car. When I moved to Israel I longed for a way to listen to my old radio station in LA. To keep up with the latest hits and not feel disconnected to US music culture.
What I didn’t take into account was how much I would grow to love local Israeli music. Moving here with young kids gave me a chance to see that they would grow up with Israeli tunes as their background music.
I started off by going to concerts at Hutzot Hayotzer, asking my boys to help me pick musicians they knew I would love. But that’s only once a year. So I searched for another outlet to enjoy.
As soon as I heard that there was a kosher Zappa in Jerusalem, I knew I had to give it a try.
Zappa is a chain of music bar/restaurants across Israel. They are the largest music producers and have well known musicians playing throughout the week.
For my 40th birthday I decided to invite out a few friends (ladies only) and enjoy an Ehud Banai concert at Zappa Jerusalem.We got there early to grab a good table and enjoyed our dinner. The delicious menu includes meat dishes, appetizers and drinks.
Then when it was time for the concert, Ehud came out on to the stage and I felt like I was listening to him in my own livingroom. I especially appreciated the no smoking policy and the clean cut crowd.
Zappa also hosts stand up comics, which was the activity I chose for my 41st birthday. It’s a great way to feel integrated into local Israeli culture. When you start to get the jokes and understand the Hebrew it’s a great feeling.
Zappa events sell out quickly so book in advance.
Did you know that Zappa can also be used as an indoor party venue in Jerusalem? With plenty of free parking, the central location next to the First Station and an open space that can be used as a cool bar/club feel or decorated to fit your needs; its a fun place to host a Bar/Bat Mitzva.
