BEIT AVI CHAI is a unique cultural center in Jerusalem that offers a wealth of programs and special events, concerts, plays, study sessions, lectures, and workshops on a variety of subjects, all of them relevant to Jewish-Israeli culture.

BEIT AVI CHAI invites everyone to taste, learn, and get excited by the treasures of Israeli and Jewish knowledge and culture, to contemplate on the past and present, and to discover a wide range of opinions, voices, traditions, and art forms from Israel and the Diaspora.

BEIT AVI CHAI is a home for genuine and frank discussion about the identity, past, and future of the Jewish people and about the essence of the State of Israel, based on respect and consideration and without avoiding sensitive and controversial issues.

BEIT AVI CHAI hosts cultural, musical, and educational events and maintains an extensive and diverse presence on line.

BEIT AVI CHAI’s activities focus on new and unexpected dimensions of Jewish Israeli culture and pose new challenges for those who wish to study, explore, and experience this culture.

The programming at BEIT AVI CHAI is based on originality, innovation, and creativity, addressed to diverse audiences.

BEIT AVI CHAIThere’s room for everyone

CONCERTS AND SHOWS

BEIT AVI CHAI offers a variety of music and dance events that brings forth the cultural wealth of the Israeli Jewish world. These include:

• TheannualPiyyutFestival-diverseprogramsrelatedtoJewishliturgical poetry from the East and West. The piyyutim are brought out of the synagogue for the public at large to enjoy and experience.

• Lost–theverybestleadingIsraeliperformerscomposemusicalpiecesfromlostJewishtextsfromthecentury1850–1950.

• TheWonderfulWorldofChassidicMelody–Aprojectthatrestores Chassidic melodies in their original sounds and variety and highlights forgotten melodies in special and moving arrangements.

EXHIBITIONS

Each year BEIT AVI CHAI puts on three exhibitions, related to various aspects of Israeli and Jewish identity as represented by painting and sculpture, photography, new media, and more.The exhibitions are accompanied by gallery discussions and meetings with the curators and artists. Recent exhibitions have included:

• “Haredim”–photosbyMenachemKahana.Abroadandsympathetic look at Haredi society in Israel.

• “Eliyahu'sGleanings,”featuringthebestworksoftheartistEliyahu Sidi that offer a new and fascinating interpretation of Jewish texts.

• “TheStoryofLakeHula”–homagetoIsraelPrizelaureate,photographerPeterMarom.TheexhibitiontracesthehistoryofLakeHulafromthefirstphotographs,inthelatenineteenthcentury,throughitsdraininginthe1950s,anditsrefloodinginthe1990's.

AREAS OF ACTIVITY HISTORY AND SOCIETY

BEIT AVI CHAI conducts series, evening symposia, workshops, and events that examine Jewish and Israeli history and society in diverse methods. These include, for example:

• KickingofftheMonth–aninterdisciplinaryeventatthebeginningofeveryJewish month.

• EasternWays–aseriesonhowMizrahirabbinicauthoritieshaverespondedtothe challenges of the modern age.

• VeryStrangePeople–ThestoryoftheSecondAliyathroughthebiographiesofits heroes.

• Agenda–Amonthlyevent,incollaborationwithRabbiBennyLau’sSocialBeitMidrash,thataddresseshottopicsinIsraelisociety.

CULTURE

BEIT AVI CHAI puts on cultural events, theatrical productions, thematic series, readings, lectures, and events tied to Jewish and Israeli literature and culture. These include, among many others:

• Theatersubscription–BEITAVICHAIputsonavarietyofshowsrelatedtoIsraeliJewish identity. Each is followed by a discussion with the performer or a scholar who is involved with the topic addressed by the show.

• KalabbatShabbat–EveryFridayafternoon,JackieLevyandtheIncubatoractorsput on a program featuring songs, comedy sketches, study, a special guest, and the weekly Torah portion.

• DirectedReading–ReadingsfrommajorworksofIsraeliliterature,withexplanations.

• Culinaryworkshop–AcookingandlearningworkshoponmajorthemesofJewish culture, such as the seven species, soups and stews, and much more.

WEBSITE bac.org.il

BEIT AVI CHAIwww. b a c . o r g . i lTelephone:+972-2-6215300

Letters:BEITAVICHAI,P.O.Box71061,91710Jerusalem

The BEIT AVI CHAI website hosts a wealth of content for anyone who wants to participate in the discourse about Israeli-Jewish identity and culture.The website invites visitors to learn, experience, and discover a broad spectrum of opinions,thoughts,andideas,througharticles,films,onlineexhibitions,andworksinnew media.The site also includes daily/weekly columns as follows:

• Spurs–AsafSagionHebrewslangandneologisms.

• TheWeeklyPage–RabbiTamarDuvdevanioffersherownpersonalinterpretationbasedonthatweek’s“DailyPages”ofTalmudstudy.Everytextistranslatedandexplained to support a discussion of its latent ideas and messages.

• TheWeeklyPortion–acolumnwrittenbyscriptwriterEliWeisbart

• TheSecretHistory–OfriIlanisurveysforgottenfiguresfromJewishhistorybyexaminingtheforgottenfigureandtheiressence.

The site also hosts a number of unique projects, including:

• AnIsraeliHome–Familiesopentheirhousesandheartstousinanattempttopenetratethe“Israelihome”.

• ConnectedTogether–VariousauthorswriteaboutthebondbetweenIsraelisandJerusalem.

• Hatred.com–AlookatmanifestationsofhatredonIsraeliwebsites.

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