Events & Activities

Join one of our Friday Tours!

All tours will take place on Friday, August 12, and are offered in Hebrew or English.

Regular tickets: 50 Shekel

Student tickets: 30 Shekel

For the registration form, click here.

Tours:

A. One City of Three Faiths – Jerusalem, a Sacred City for Three Religions

Let us tour the holiest city in the world, from sacred traditions to everyday customs, from familiar sites to hidden corners, amidst the three religions of Jerusalem.

Throughout the generations, Jews, Christians, and Muslims have cast their eyes towards Jerusalem. Over the thousands of years of its existence, Jerusalem has been sanctified for each of these three religions. The Jews established their Holy of Holies here, terming the city the “navel” of the world. The Christians recall their messiah’s resurrection and rise to Heaven in Jerusalem, and here they await his return. The Muslims mark Jerusalem as the site where Mohamed ascended to Heaven in a magical Night Journey.

Thus, with characteristic Jerusalem crowdedness, mosques, churches, and synagogues coexist in one place. They all cast their voices in prayer heavenward, in praise of the city’s holiness. And all of this is interspersed with the vibrant daily life of Jerusalem’s streets and alleyways.

We will embark on a tour of the traditions and beliefs of the city’s three religions.

Among other questions to be addressed: Why do people put notes in the Western Wall? Who is painting graffiti on the walls of Christianity’s holiest church? What name did the Muslims give to the Western Wall? And where is King David really buried?

The sites of the tour include King David’s Tomb, Zion Gate, Hurva Synagogue, rooftop views, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and a scenic view of the Temple Mount.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

B. Leaders and Leadership in Rechavia

Our tour will start at the National Institutes, where we’ll talk about the significance of their location in Jerusalem. We’ll continue to the Rehavia Gymnasium, and hear about its long history of education, and some of the Gymnasium’s graduates, who become leaders in Israeli society.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

C. “Dreamers and Builders” – Following the Founders of the First Neighborhoods Beyond the Old City Walls

Trace the tracks of a dream that became a reality: Jerusalem beyond the Old City walls.

We will follow the footsteps of the early pioneers who sought to expand Jerusalem’s borders and escape the crowded alleyways of the Old City. We will tour the first homes in the first neighborhoods founded beyond the Old City walls.

We will stroll among ancient stone houses, through courtyards and alleyways, tracing the tracks of the pioneers who dreamed and paved the path to the new Jerusalem, the largest city in the country….

We will hear about the dangers that the neighborhoods’ residents faced: some real, some imaginary…. We will learn about a “cursed” flour mill, the nobleman’s chariot, housing for Jerusalem’s poor and housing for those seeking a higher living standard, the seven brave ones, and one resourceful rabbi who led his community beyond the city walls – to a life of comfort.

The sites of the tour include the neighborhoods of Mishkenot Sha’ananim, Yemin Moshe, Mahane Israel, and Nahalat Shiv’a.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

D. “Like a Picture Postcard” – Touring the Village of Ein Kerem

Tour the picturesque pathways of the village of Ein Kerem, following in the footsteps of Christian nuns, Jewish immigrants, and Muslim holy men.

From time immemorial the picturesque neighborhood of Ein Kerem has graced the outskirts of Jerusalem. For thousands of years, its residents have engaged in agriculture, growing olive groves and vineyards, orchards and green gardens. Their lives centered on the village’s fresh-water spring, its source of water and life. During the first century of the Common Era, Mary, the mother of Jesus, arrived for a family visit, carrying the Christian messiah in her womb. Her cousin Elizabeth lived in the village and gave birth to John the Baptist, who foretold the coming of Christianity.

Over the years churches and monasteries devoted to the story of Jesus and John were built in the village. Yet village life continued. Throughout government turnover and historical turmoil, Ein Kerem remained a farming village.

During the War of Independence, the Arab residents fled the village and were replaced by new immigrants from Yemen and North Africa.

We will roam around the colorful alleyways, among the stone houses, terraces, and twisting grapevines. We will hear stories about enchanted monasteries, a youth village for immigrant Holocaust survivors, hidden treasures, glowing stones, and much, much more.

The sites of the tour include Mary’s Spring, the Church of the Visitation, the Church of St. John the Baptist, the Sisters of Zion Monastery (closed on Sundays), the House of the Jewish Girl, and more.

The tour includes entry into churches.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

E. “On the Fence” – Touring the Neighborhood of Musrara

Come and hear stories of social justice in the colorful neighborhood of Musrara with its history of stormy struggles.

The spacious and comfortable houses of Musrara were built by Arab effendis in the mid-19th century, but when the city was divided, it became an impoverished, borderline neighborhood. Its residents, new immigrants from North Africa, lived under a constant, daily threat of attack and a real fear for their lives along the border. These circumstances led to the creation of a dynamic social protest movement, the “Black Panthers,” which sought social justice for the oppressed and disempowered residents of young Israel.

As we stroll among the neighborhood’s houses, we will see grand homes alongside simple housing units. We will hear about the transformation from an impoverished neighborhood to a residential area with a vibrant community life, full of art and spirituality, with a captivating combination of old and new.

The sites of the tour include the Musrara Community Center, the House of Windows, “They’re Not Nice” Alley, the Musrara Photography School, and more.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

F. “Jerusalem Mix” – A Tour of the Nahlaot Neighborhoods

Tour the courtyards and houses in the neighborhoods of Nahlaot – 32 neighborhoods in the heart of the city – in search of tastes and smells, melodies and memories.

Let us wander among the courtyards and alleyways of the Nahlaot neighborhoods in the heart of the city, in search of the customs, traditions, and memories of the many communities from all the corners of the world that have come together in Jerusalem: Yemenites and Persians, Georgians and Kurds, Ashkenazim and Sephardim. We will learn about one of the 36 Just Men who lived here in a one-room apartment, about the alehouse that became a prayer house, about the childless nobleman who created a neighborhood, about the inspiration for the playBustan Sephardi, and much, much more … a variety of stories that combine to form a fascinating and heartwarming human mosaic.

For dessert, we take in the market of Mahane Yehudah, a festival of lively colors and sights.

The sites of this tour include the neighborhood of Even Israel, Batei Goral, the neighborhoods of Mazkeret Moshe and Ohel Moshe, Batei Broida, and the Mahane Yehuda market.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Spanish Tour – Free!

New Jews in Jerusalem: Memories of the Return | Friday (12.08), 8:30 – 14:30

Guide: Dr. Eduardo Torres
Meeting Point: City of David. Ma’alot Ir David St 17

The tour traces the stories of the return/entry into Judaism of new Jews from Latin America, Spain and Portugal in Jerusalem. It approaches life stories of leaders, families, groups and communities connected with the Jewish people and Israel, from the voices of their protagonists. Revisit institutions, scenarios, events and moments of immigration. It recounts their experiences and shows the different mediations exercised by the currents of Judaism, Israeli society and the Latin ethnic, Jewish and community adoptive environments in Jerusalem.

Itinerary: 1. City of David. Viewpoint. Archaeological site. 2. Old city of Jerusalem. Jewish quarter- Four Sephardic synagogues. Old Yishuv Court Museum. Mount Sion- Yeshiva Diaspora. 3. City outside the walls. Hebrew Union College-MILAH Institute. Tacos Luis, Kikar Sion-Hostal Jerusalem. Nahon Museum of Jewish Art-Italian Synagogue. Falafel Maoz, Quesadillas Ascencio. Mahane Yehuda Market.

Guided Tours at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem – In cooperation with the Israel Museum

All guided tours at the Israel Museum will take place on Friday, August 12, at 10:00 am.

Tour Length: 40 minutes

Tickets: 34 Shekel (Including a free pass to the museum for the day)

For the registration form, click here.

Tours:

• New Viewpoint on Ancient Objects (English)
• The Permanent Collection of Israeli Art (English)
• Telling History at the Jewish Art and Life Gallery (Hebrew)

• Botanical Garden Tour, Mt. Scopus

Tour Length: 40 minutes
Start time: 8:00
Meeting Point: The garden main entrance (by the tunnel).

Registration here.

Botanical Garden Tour – Tues 09.08 – in Hebrew

Botanical Garden Tour – Thu 11.08 – in English

Link to their website: http://www.botanic-garden.huji.ac.il/

___________________________________________

• Guided Tour of the Exhibit – In and Out, Between and Beyond: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe

Tour Length: 30 minutes
The Max and Iris Stern Gallery

Monday | English Tour at 13:45, Hebrew Tour at 14:00

T, W, Th | English Tour at 13:45, Hebrew Tour at 14:15

Registration here.

___________________________________________

• Guided Tour of  The Israel Goor Theatre Archives and Museum
  An exhibition: The Dybbuk – Through Times and Generations.
  An exhibition dedicated to the play, its productions, and their influence on the arts therefrom till today.
  In honor of Habima Theatre’s The Dybbuk production a century ago (1922)

Tour Length: 20 minutes

Registration here.

Monday | English Tour at 11:00, Hebrew Tour at 14:00.
The Archive will be open to visitors between the hours of 9:00 – 16:00.

Tuesday | English Tour at 14:00.

Wednesday | Hebrew Tour at 14:00.

Thursday | Exhibit Opening, with the artists and their families (13:30 – 15:00).

Link to their website: https://www.goorarchives.org.il

______________________________________________

• Exhibition and Guided Tour: Açaí & Dates: Memories of Brazilian Food in Israel
  The Exhibition Açai & Dates is the first product of a project recording life stories of Brazilians olim. The exhibition focuses on immigration and food. These memories are part of a virtual exhibition in cooperation with the Museu da Pessoa.
  The Curators: Adriana Russi / Debi Chaimovitch-Yehoshafat, Ruth Kark, Carlos Alberto Povoa and Noam Levin.

Tour Length: 20 minutes
Bloomfield Library for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Tuesday |  Tour at 14:00.

You are invited to visit the exhibition during the library opening hours from 08.45 till 21.00, and follow the project on Instagram @imigrantesbr.israel.

The Opening Event

Greetings:

Mr. Isaac Herzog, President of the State of Israel

Prof. Menahem Ben-Sasson, Chancellor of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Prof. Moshe Idel, President of the World Union of Jewish Studies

Prof. Elisabeth Hollender, President of the European Association for Jewish Studies

Prof. Lilach Rosenberg-Friedman, Board Member of the Association for Jewish Studies

M.C. : Prof. Aviva Halamish, Board Member of the World Union of Jewish Studies

• Music Performance

Ensemble Bet Hagat (Jerusalem)

Prayers of Solace and Hope from the Italian Jewish Ghetto

The Beit Hagat Ensemble is an international and multicultural ensemble, based in Jerusalem, that specializes in early Jewish music. This evening will focus on piyyutim from the Italian Jewish tradition. The project reflects the timeless power of this nearly vanished music, then as now, to inspire hope, catharsis, acceptance and joy. The rare melodies from Italian communities are relevant and powerful even in the twenty-first century.

Baroque Cello and Artistic Direction:Ayela Seidelman
Voice: David Lavi, Keren Kedem, Yair Harel, Father Alberto Pari
Baroque Violin: Refael Negri (Italy)
Jewish Violin: Daniel Hoffman
Recorders, Viola da gamba: Adi Silberberg
Bass Colascione: Ben Har Gaash
Percussion: Oded Geizhals
Lute, Theorbo and Arrangements: Bari Moscovitz

Places are limited to Congress lecturers and chairpersons only. Advance registration is required.

Liwerant-Fomento Mexico Hall | Monday, August 08

____________________________________________________________________________________

Matanel Prize for Jewish Thought

Awarded for best original book in Jewish Thought, published in Hebrew in the past three years (2020-2022).

Barbara Mandel Auditorium, Mandel Building | Wednesday, August 10, 13:30 – 14:30
The ceremony will be followed by a reception.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Lunch Reception for Graduate Students

Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School, Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Institute for Jewish Studies, University of Antwerpand the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, University of Pennsylvania2022 Advanced Summer School forGraduate Students in Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.

COME AND MEET YOUR PEERS! All Graduate Students attending the World Congress are invited to a lunch reception.

Mandel Building, 5th-floor Lobby | Tuesday, August 9, 13:30-15:00

RSVP here.

____________________________________________________________________________________

WCJS Travel Bursary Programme Reception

The European Association for Jewish Studies, the World Union of Jewish Studies and The Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe jointly host a reception to honor the recipients of the WCJS Travel Bursary Programme.

Meiersdorf Faculty Club, 4th-floor Lobby | Tuesday, August 9, 13:30-14:30

Films from the Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive

Screened at the Faculty of Humanities, Room 2505

Monday, August 8, 13:45

• Not One Shall Die (1957): A JDC transit camp provides the stage for the dramatization of the plight of Jewish refugees in 1957. A short film by the United Jewish Appeal, directed by David Lowell Rich made by the core crew of many Columbia film – noirs with many leading actors of the day including Guy Madison, Felicia Farr and Agnes Moorehead. English, 30 minutes.

Tuesday, August 9, 13:45

• The Big Moment (1954): Three individual stories that give an account of crucial moments in the lives of three different people: one is a young thief from Casablanca, another is an immigrant doctor brought to the United States and the third is a girl who survived the Holocaust. The big moment a United Jewish Appeal produced by Mel Epstein in cooperation with Paramount featured a cast of 16 stars including Donna Reed, Robert Young, Thomas Mitchell, Forrest Tucker and John Derek. English, 26 minutes.

Wednesday, August 10, 13:45

• Bus to Sinai (1968): Come for a 5-day bus trip across Sinai shortly after the 6-Day War, visit the town of Suez, ride to Mount Sinai, see the Valley of the Golden Calf, and go inside the Monastery of Santa Katarina all while seeing the magnificence of the Sinai desert. English Subtitles, 30 minutes.

Thursday, August 11, 13:45

• The Return (1972): Various Russian Jews who won their struggle to immigrate to Israel tell their stories including Ephraim Sevela and Esther Libovska. English Subtitles, 22 minutes.

____________________________________________________________________________

Film Screening:

Wednesday, August 10, 17:30 – 19:30 Dan Wassong Hall, Rabin Building

Followed by a talk with the director Dr. Malka Shabtay.

• NAFKOT – Yearning (2022)

An Israeli Anthropologist traveling to meet a hidden Jewish community in North Ethiopia, together they are telling their special story of survival. Abera, a young artist joins to discover what has been hidden from him.

70 minutes, English subtitles.

Full abstract, here.

Trailer, here.

____________________________________________________________________________

World Premier:

Wednesday, August 10, 17:30 – 19:30, Senate Hall

Section on Latin American Jewry

The Diary of Luis (2022)

Director and Producer: Daniel Goldberg.

Documentary. Hard and fast boundaries of identity are not always what wet think they are. As they unravel the fibers of deeply hidden family secrets handed down by generations past, diverse individuals of Jewish descent in Mexico and the United States draw inspiration from the life and story of a young man who was burnt alive at the stake in 16th Century Inquisitorial Mexico, for the crime of observing the laws of Moses.

90 minutes, English, and Spanish.

Musical events, with the support of the Hebrew University Musicology Department.

Noon Concerts:

      Monday, August 8th:

Musicology Auditorium 2715 | 13:30-14:15

• Is This the Way to Say Sorry? Selichot Prayer Service Melodies of The Eastern Mediterranean.
  Singing and Explanation by the Paytan Roni Ish-Ran.

___________________________________________________________________________

      Tuesday, August 9th:

Musicology Auditorium 2715 | 13:45-14:30

• Art Music by Israeli Composers: Works by Y. Bardanashvili, O. Zehavi, A. Harlap, A. Ya’ar, O. Yissachar.
  Paul Ben-Haim Competition Awardees Menashe Lukin (Recorder) And Or Yissachar (Piano).

___________________________________________________________________________

      Wednesday, August 10th:

Musicology Auditorium 2715 | 13:45-14:30

• Liturgical Chants of The Ethiopian Jews: Ritual Singing Accompanied by Special Percussion Instruments and Followed by Explanations.
  Presented by: Kes Semay Elias, Chair of The Spiritual Council “Zera Aharon Kahanat”, Kes Adisu Baynesay, Kes Bantihun Daniel.

___________________________________________________________________________

    Thursday, August 11th:

Musicology Auditorium 2715 | 13:45-14:30

• “Hashir Lo Tam! – The Tune is Not Over!”: Early Hebrew Songs with The Zemereshet Project.
  Presented by Noga Eshed, Singer and Guitar Player; Mandoline: Aliza Nagar.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Afternoon Concerts:

     Tuesday, August 9th:

Dan Wassong Hall, Rabin Building | 17:30

Musical Performance, La Autoridad Nasionala del Ladino

• Ibn Gabirol at Hitman: Historical and Geographical Journey Through Sephardic Liturgical Tradition.

___________________________________________________________________________

      Wednesday, August 10th:

Musicology Auditorium 2715 | 18:30-19:30

• Traditional Music for the Reform Synagogue Service: Works by Hazzan Professor Eliyahu Schleifer, followed by his explanations.
  Cantors Sarah Grabiner and Eliyahu Schleifer, Hebrew Union College cantorial students, Aya Schleifer and Assaf Kedem (Piano).

___________________________________________________________________________

      Thursday, August 11th:

Dan Wassong Hall, Rabin Building | 18:00

Event of Spectacular World of Jewish Music
Chairman: Jeffrey Fisher

• “Into the Light”: Music for Voice and Piano. Songs written by Jewish composers who were murdered in the Holocaust, songs from the Ghettos and songs by Jewish composers who emigrated from Europe following the Nazis’ rise to power.
  Musical Director: Nir Cohen-Shalit
  Mezzo-Soprano: Reut Ventorero
  Alto: Nitzan Alon
  Piano: Yael Kareth

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Special Invitation: The 70th Anniversary of August 12, the Night of Murdered Yiddish Poets

* With the support of Beth Shalom Aleichem

      Friday, August 12th:

Gan Hasofrim (Gala Galaktyon Square, Tchernichovsky St. at Azza St.) | 10:00 – 11:00

The KGB files of the Jewish writers on jdoc.org.il — the website team
A poem in Yiddish and in Hebrew translation, narrated by Reuven Niborski
Lecture: “Vegn di verk fun di harugey-malkhes funem ratn-farband”, David Roskies
Songs by the repressed poets and composers, performed by Ruth Levin (singing) and Alexei Belousov (guitar)

Poster Exhibition

Mon – Thu (08.08-12.08.2022) | Mexico Hall

• Special Session: Idea Program, Class 2022

Monday, 13:30 – 14:30 | Mexico Hall

In the Idea program is meant for gifted high school students, that are been mentored by PhD students from the Hebrew University. The students conduct their own research and write a paper. They focuses on the humanities including history, social science, politics, philosophy, psychology, the arts, drama, music, economics and more.

In this special session four students will present their work.

For more information about the program, click here.

__________________________________________

• Poster Session

Wednesday, August 10, 13:45 – 15:00 | Mexico Hall

You are welcome to see the posters and discuss them with the presenters.

____________________________________________________________________________

The Jerusalem Biennale

Mon – Thu (08.08-12.08.2022) | Faculty of Humanities, Bloc 8

• Carmelit: Between the Landscape and the Artist

Artists: Motta Brim, Avigail Fried, Chanan Mazal, Debbie Margalit, and Safira Klein.
Curator: Ram Ozeri.

On the Exhibit:

Every person is shaped by the landscape of their homeland. Artists are influenced by their own creations. Their self perception is shaped by the landscape and private spaces in which they operate. The exhibition Carmelit explores the connection between the land, the home or studio space, and the artists’ image as those are expressed in the work of five painters.

For a preview, click here.