Abigail Klein Leichman
February 12, 2017

Monday was the kickoff of the sixth annual Sha’on Horef — literally, “winter clock,” meaning Standard Time, but loosely translated as Winter Noise Festival — a wintery cultural event in the streets of Israel’s capital city sponsored by the Youth Authority of the Jerusalem municipality.

The lineup for every Monday night in February includes music, dance, street theater, video art, cooking workshops, parties, artist masterclasses, exhibitions and more. Each week is geared to a different downtown section and most events are free.

Below are just some of the nearly 100 events. There will also be a backgammon tournament, drumming workshop, fashion show, poetry readings and many additional musical performances.

February 13 events: “East Meets Italy” performance by the Eastern Department of the Academy of Music and Dance at the Museum of Italian Art, 25 Hillel Street, 8pm; “Africa|Africa,” Yossi Fine presents Music from the Blue Desert with special guest Hagar Samir and an after-party with Sounds from Africa DJ/VJ, Blue Hall, 12 Yoel Moshe Salomon, 8pm; and “Drunken Jazz” at Gatsby, Hillel Street, 9:30.

Yossi Fine will present Music from the Blue Desert at Blue Hall, February 13, 8pm. Photo: courtesy
Yossi Fine will present Music from the Blue Desert at Blue Hall, February 13, 8pm. Photo: courtesy

February 20 events: “Music for Psychedelic Stoners” show by Hinom, 7pm at Sira Pub, 4 Ben Sira Street; wine tasting workshop followed by flamenco music, 7-10 at Gabriel, 7 Ben Shetach Street; System Ali, an Arabic-Hebrew fusion hip-hop group performing at 8:30pm at Rova 5, 35 Hillel Street, followed by an after-party presented by Zanubia with Kalbata and Mixmonster; Classic Arabic songs performed by Pireket al Nur at Shipudei Hatikva, 4 Shlomtsiyon Hamalka Street, 8:30; and “Kadosh at 50” jubilee anniversary dessert extravaganza (not free) at Kadosh patisserie, 6 Shlomtsiyon Hamalka Street, 8pm.

System Ali Arab-Hebrew fusion hip-hop group will perform on February 20 at Rova 5. Photo: courtesy
System Ali Arab-Hebrew fusion hip-hop group will perform on February 20 at Rova 5. Photo: courtesy

February 27 events: Hebrew reading and conversation lesson at Workspace, 2 Yavetz Street, 7pm (free, but signup is required at 074-703-8958); “Portrait of a Syrian Refugee Camp,” an exhibition by Maya Yavin at Eyal Hotel, 21 Shamai Street, 7pm; smartphone photography workshop at Schwartz Photo, 14 Hillel Street, 7 and 8pm (₪15; register at 02-624-8271); and multicultural dance performances by “State of Jerusalem,” a collective of women from the secular, ultra-Orthodox and Arab communities, corner of Luntz and Ben Yehuda streets, 9:15, 10 and 10:30.

The festival will end with a party encompassing three bars at Horkanus and Heleni Hamalka streets — Hataklit, Hakasseta and Video Pub – at 11pm.

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