|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A renewed sense of hope and resilience is sweeping through Israel as the Home Front Command lifts restrictions following two weeks of national silence.
After the cancellation of countless events amid recent tensions, cultural life is cautiously springing back to life across the country, marking a symbolic and emotional return to normalcy.
Cinemas were the first to signal this cultural revival. On Thursday, June 26, Lev Cinemas reopened its doors, quickly followed by Cinema City, Planet, and MovieLand on June 27. One of the first films to screen again was Hillula 2: The Wedding, whose initial release was disrupted by the conflict.
Theater, a cornerstone of Israeli cultural life, is also making a powerful comeback. Habima National Theater will resume programming on June 28 with an outdoor performance of His Name Precedes Him in Modi’in.
The Cameri Theater in Tel Aviv reopened June 26 with The Whale and The Indian Patient. Beit Lessin Theater began touring productions on June 27, including Jacky’s Freedom in Nahariya and Brighton Beach Memoirs in Kiryat Motzkin, while its Tel Aviv venue is set to reopen on July 1 with All About Eve.
“Returning to perform for an audience who has endured hardship is deeply meaningful,” said Beit Lessin director Tzipi Pines. “We hope for quieter, better days ahead.”
In Jerusalem, the Jerusalem Theater reopened on June 26. CEO Sharon Abramovitch Yardani noted the bittersweet atmosphere, saying, “We reunite with our audience while still holding concern for our hostages and soldiers.”
The Khan Theater is preparing to reopen next weekend, while Beersheba Theater resumed activity on June 26. However, some Haifa venues remain under repair due to recent damage.
Gesher Theater in Jaffa will return July 6 with The Canceled Wedding and is preparing Hanoch Levin’s Krum for its opera debut on July 10. “Until all hostages return, culture will not be the same,” a statement from the theater read.
Dance companies are also making their return. Batsheva Dance Company will perform Ohad Naharin’s Three at the Suzanne Dellal Centre from June 30 to July 2.
The centre will also host its second Children’s Summer Festival from July 24 to 26, featuring dance, theater, and circus acts for families.
Music venues are preparing to resonate once more. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra launches its summer season on July 1 in Tel Aviv with A Dream of a Concert – Works and Songs Children Love.
Meanwhile, the Revolution Orchestra and Israeli Andalusian Orchestra Ashdod have full summer schedules, including a selihot program and jazz series.
Museums and galleries have begun reopening. The Israel Museum in Jerusalem resumed operations on June 26, while the Tel Aviv Museum of Art is expected to follow next week.
Haifa museums, the Eretz Israel Museum, and the Museum of the Jewish People at ANU have also reopened, showcasing a range of exhibitions under safety protocols.
Festivals are adapting as well. The Jerusalem International Film Festival will proceed July 17-26 at Sultan’s Pool, promising appearances by Gal Gadot and Lawrence Bender.
The Israel Festival has been rescheduled for July 16 to August 15, and Ashdodance will now run August 25-28. As the nation rebuilds its cultural heartbeat, organizers, artists, and institutions remain united in a call for peace and healing.