Culture in Israel

From Lorenz Hart to Mel Brooks: Two Jewish lives now available on Israeli screens

TV TIME: Two movies present a strong contrast in both their subjects and their styles. Blue Moon, about lyricist Lorenz Hart on Apple TV+, and Mel Brooks: The 99-Year-Old Man on HBO Max.

ETHAN HAWKE and Margaret Qualley star in Blue Moon, Richard Linklater’s drama about composer Lorenz Hart.
Artist Tamar Aluf with her exhibit ‘Painting Longing’ in the Jerusalem  Theatre’s Sherover Foyer. Paintings behind her from L, clockwise: ‘Horizon  of a House,’ acrylic (2025); ‘The Fabric of Life’ (2025); ‘Longing’ (2025).

Painting longing: Journey through loss, memory, and renewal

ORPHANED LAND, celebrating 35 years.

Heavy metal peace in the Mideast: Orphaned Land frontman asks if unity through music can survive

Meat.

Passador in Tel Aviv: A meat lover’s paradise - restaurant review


Jerusalem highlights: January 16-22

What's new to do in Israel's capital?

Graphic novel ‘Between the River and the Sea’ by Hillel Cohen.

Grapevine, January 16, 2026: Christian ‘Who’s Who’ in Israel

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III shares a laugh with President Isaac Herzog.

Local Testimony 2025: Powerful images of conflict, life, and hope at Eretz Israel Museum

The Eretz Israel Museum hosts Local Testimony 2025, a moving exhibition of photography documenting war, life, and hope.

Avishai Shaar-Yashuv  documented the first few  months of Emily Damari’s life  following her return from  captivity in Gaza, for ‘The New  York Times.’

Discover the central Arava: Israel’s desert haven for wellness and renewal

Israel’s central Arava offers a unique escape, wellness retreats, wildlife sanctuaries, and a desert that restores body and mind.

At sunset, the private plunge pools of  Amara Tzukim’s couples’ neighborhood  glow against the desert landscape, capturing the intimacy and stillness of a  night in the Central Arava.

Inside the unexpected cultural renaissance happening in Beit Shemesh

From Shlock Rock to major Israeli theater productions, Beit Shemesh’s cultural center is turning the city into an unexpected arts destination.

Lenny Solomon at the keyboard with the Shlock Rock band at the 40th anniversary concert in Beit Shemesh.

New Israeli craft beers tell stories of war, recovery, and creativity

From light lagers to imperial stouts, Israel’s new craft beers offer unique flavors and stories in every sip.

The brewer of four Shomron beers says that brewing is what cured him from post-trauma after many years of active combat duty.

Melting Point at the Museum for Islamic Art shows what jewellery can be

Melting Point brings artists together to show how jewellery evolves into storytelling, emotion, and cultural memory in a time of rupture and renewal.

‘Memento Mori’ by Adi Harush and Ben Tzur references Victorian mourning jewelry and the arc between heritage and contemporary works.

Grapevine: Puttin' in the Ritz

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

The majestic King David Hotel in Jerusalem

HBO Max arrives in Israel while Anderson’s film sparks controversy

TV TIME: HBO Max launches in Israel with a full slate of hit series and films, while Paul Thomas Anderson’s 'One Battle After Another' draws sharp criticism for its politics and plot.

‘The Pitt.’

How a Jew and an Arab made a comedy about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

A bold new Jewish-Arab comedy, “Bella,” uses humor to explore shared pain.

A scene from ‘Bella.’