Israel Feature

For such a small country, Israel has a wealth of cultural activity that reflects both the extraordinary diversity of its population and the fact that the state is just over 60 years old. Innovation and experimentation meld with traditional art forms, creating an exciting Israeli art scene in which classical Western meets the new Middle East.

Apart from the top venues in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa, many towns in Israel have a performing arts center where you can catch flagship performers as well as up-and-coming local talent.

Dance

The main venue for Israeli dance of all kinds is the beautiful Suzanne Dellal Centre for Dance and Theater (www.suzannedellal.org.il), in Tel Aviv's historic Neveh Tzedek neighborhood.

All the other companies perform at Israel's large concert halls—check the calendar section of the Jerusalem Post or Haaretz newspapers for schedules.

For classical ballet, look for performances of Israel's veteran classical ballet company, the Israel Ballet Company (03/604-6610). The Panov Ballet Theater Company (08/854-5180), founded in 1998, features a repertoire of both classical and contemporary dance under the direction of former Kirov ballet star and company founder, Valery Panov.

If it's strictly modern dance you're looking for, try to catch the Batsheva Dance Company in Tel Aviv (03/510-4037)—one of Israel's most respected modern dance companies, founded by Martha Graham and Baroness Batsheva De Rothschild—or the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (09/954-0403).

In Jerusalem, the Vertigo Dance Company (02/624-4176), based at the Gerard Behar Center, takes the audience into new and unexpected territory through their modern dance interpretations.

The most comprehensive dance event in Israel is the annual Summer Dance Festival at the Suzanne Dellal Centre in Tel Aviv, which features more than 80 events in July and August. In the fall, the center hosts TelAviv Dance, a three-week showcase of the world's best companies.

Music

Classical and Opera

Israel's classical orchestras are world-renowned and often host the best soloists and conductors from around the world. See if you can catch the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (www.ipo.co.il), directed by Zubin Mehta, during one of its many performances in Tel Aviv, Haifa, or Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem Symphony (www.jso.co.il) under the direction of Leon Botstein appears regularly all over the country.

In Haifa it's the Haifa Symphony Orchestra (www.haifasymphony.co.il) that brings classical music to the north. Music lovers in the center of the country can enjoy the Israel Symphony Orchestra of Rishon Lezion (www.isorchestra.co.il), which also serves as the resident orchestra of the Israeli Opera.

The Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center is the place to enjoy the Israel Opera (www.israel-opera.co.il), which stages several series of classical operas and operettas throughout the season (November to July).

Popular Music

Israeli popular music ranges from rock groups with an international following such as Hadag Hanachash to singers of modern Israeli ballads like Eviatar Banai, who are well known to locals only. Both will appear at places such as The Lab (Hama'abada, 02/629-2001) in Jerusalem, or the Goldstar Zappa Club (03/649-9550) in Tel Aviv.

The best popular music festival of the year is the Ein Gev Festival in April on the shores of the Sea of Galilee (www.eingev.com).

Israel's best-known pop stars appear every night at the annual International Arts and Crafts Fair. The 10-day extravaganza is Jerusalem's main summer festival and takes place just outside the walls of the Old City in mid-August.

Jazz, Ethnic, and World Music

There are Israelis with origins in almost every country in the world, and ethnic music is an extremely important part of Israel's musical culture.

Jazz has grown in popularity over the past decade with an influx of accomplished immigrant musicians from Russia and America. Stars like the Idan Raichel Project with his Ethiopian-influenced sound and the Yemenite-flavored Zafa have put Israel on the world music map. Performances are at a variety of venues including Jerusalem's Confederation House (02/642-5206).

Every November Jerusalem hosts the International Oud Festival (www.confederationhouse.org) that highlights ensembles featuring music of the Middle Eastern lute.

For aficionados of vocal music, the village of Abu Ghosh just west of Jerusalem is the place to be in October and May when the beautiful local churches provide the best acoustics for the Abu Ghosh Music Festival (www.agfestival.co.il).

The mountaintop town of Tzfat is the setting for the annual Klezmer Festival (www. safed.co.il) that takes place mid-August and brings the world's best Jewish musicians together for three days of traditional Jewish music.

Theater

Theater in Israel is almost exclusively staged in Hebrew, with the exception of the Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv (www.cameri.co.il), which presents its most popular productions three times a week with screened simultaneous English translation.

The Israel Festival (www.israel-festival.org.il) in Jerusalem is the place to take in an array of the best of the performing arts over two weeks in May. Both Israeli artists and performers from all over the world converge on the capital to showcase the best in music, dance, and theater.

Language won't be a barrier at Jerusalem's annual International Festival of Puppet Theater (www.traintheater.co.il) in early August. It showcases the world's best puppet artists.

Film

Israel has a sophisticated and thriving film industry with Israeli movies consistently being nominated for prestigious awards worldwide.

The best places to see the most interesting Israeli films are the Cinematheques in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, and Sderot (www.jer-cin.org.il). Most Israeli films have English subtitles.

For real film buffs, plan your visit to Israel to coincide with the prestigious two-week-long Jerusalem International Film Festival that takes place in mid-July every year at the Cinematheque or the Jewish Film Festival at the same venue in December.