Jerusalem Summertime fun – five useful resources

Jerusalem is a fascinating city to live in as I do, but it is also really worthwhile to come to see if you are on holiday in Israel too.

There are so many interesting and fun activities and events on here in Jerusalem, but the question is where can you find out about them?

As many of you know, I run the IsraelB online community which will tell you for instance, anything from when Sivan Rahav Meir’s shiur is taking place this week to who is performing at Hutzot Hayotzer or the details of the Beer Festival next week. Singles and retirees find IsraelB particularly useful for finding out where to meet people. Make sure to subscribe to the IsraelB newsletter and join all the Facebook Groups / follow us on Twitter (@IsraelBayit).

But, apart from the IsraelB online portal what else would I suggest?

I would recommend 5 places to look:

1. Fun in Jerusalem. Run by Joanna Shebson, Fun in Jerusalem has become the resource to find out what’s on for families and kids in Jerusalem. With creative and original content, you will find plenty of useful information there about what’s on for all the family.
2. Israel Scavengers. Managed by Tali Tarlow. If you are looking for more adventure in Jerusalem I would really recommend being in touch with Tali. Israel ScaVentures are great for family, student and adult groups. These tour games are for first time visitors to Israel as well as seasoned tourists. You do not need prior Israel/Jewish knowledge to participate in an Israel ScaVenture. They have routes in the Old City, Nachlaot, the Shuk, Neve Zedek, Jaffa, Tzfat and more. There are 2 ways of making a booking – you can either join a prescheduled game (Open Scavenger Hunt), or you can book your own group game (Group Scavenger Hunt). Open Scavenger Hunts in August are every Friday at 10:00. If you haven’t already, you can also look at their website http://www.israelscaventures.com and their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/JerusalemScavengerHunts to get a feel for the game.
3. Jerusalem Foundation. The Jerusalem Foundation is a useful resource for what’s happening culturally here. The cultural content is written by Shayna Abramson. Shayna has been producing really useful weekly listings of what cultural events are happening each in Jerusalem. Shayna is a real expert for what cultural events are happening in Jerusalem. To quote her,’ Jerusalem is full of cultural activities, especially during the summer. There’s always something going on if you know where to look. As a writer for the Jerusalem Foundation, I consider myself lucky to get a front-row view of some of the amazing art happening in the city. Sometimes, I can’t get to all the events because there are so many happening in one night. I feel truly blessed to live in such a vibrant city.’
4. ITravelJerusalem. Still a very useful resource for all the activities and events happening in Jerusalem.
5. OU Israel Center & AACI – If you are looking for lectures, tours and shiurim, I would recommend checking out the OU Israel Center and the AACI. Although not exclusively for seniors and retirees, they do cater for that demographic very well, with a whole range of meaningful activities. By the way, the OU Israel isn’t just for oldies. For instance, this Thursday evening, the JCHAT division of the OU Israel Center, are having an event for young professionals. Contact Rabbi Sam Shor or Rikki Liff for more details.

Finally, wherever you end up going when you visit Jerusalem, I would always recommend coming to the Jerusalem market, Machane Yehudah, otherwise known as, the ‘Shuk’. The Shuk is my favourite place in Jerusalem. The smells, colours and most of all the people are really special. As Tova Knecht, otherwise known as, Tova in Israel showed us in her, ‘Shakin at the Shuk’ video, it’s a really fun place to hang out!

So, whatever you do when you come to Jerusalem, make sure to have a memorable time and experience the renewal and rebirth of our people in our eternal capital city.