IN HEBREW
On the night that we officially switch to summer time, when we have more hours of daylight then darkness, the National Library is hosting LIGHTHOUSE – a celebration of the start of summer.
Shows, installations, talks, tours and surprises that will enlighten the heart and mind.
5.30pm: The Story of Us All
Ancient manuscripts that are a thousand years old next to sophisticated robots that pull books from shelves, an interactive display next to thought-provoking works of art. You are invited to join a tour into the heart of the National Library, and discover the great cultural treasures that are housed in this national institution.
7pm: Capsule Treasure – Shelved Works see the Light of Day
The archives of the National Library contain hidden treasures: unpublished parts of poems and pieces of stories by the great Hebrew writers. In this one-hour tour three short lectures will reveal to us some of these hidden gems.
7pm: Those who Walk in the Dark (& in the Light) – Chanoch Levin on the Steam
Hanoch Levin’s plays range from great darkness to flashes of light. Alongside the despair, pain and cynicism associated with his work, humor, human love and a wild, limitless imagination also shine through. On the 80th anniversary of the birth of Hanoch Levin and the 25th anniversary of his death, Molly Meltzer, who edited his plays together with Levin, comes to talk with the actress Lilian Barto, about the great magician of the Israeli theater, who walked between darkness and light.
8.30pm: The Daily Postcard – with Illustrator Zev Engelmayer
Since last November, every day, illustrator Zev Engelmayer – Shushka – publishes on his Facebook page the “daily postcard”, which is dedicated to those kidnapped and murdered on October 7. The series of drawings, created with colorful markers, shows a glimmer of hope and optimism, often at the request of the families. Now, Shushka is coming to the National Library to tell about the project that has become a ray of light for many, many of us, in the heart of a dark time.
8.30pm: Emerging into the Light
Each of us has a book that helped us survive a difficult and dark period. Eran Tzur, Shira Gefen, Naa Yadlin and Yaakov Meir come to the National Library to talk about the books that were a beacon for them during their darkest times.
8.30pm: It Gets Dark Here Sometimes – Moti Roden in Concert
With the release of his new album, the singer songwriter Moti Roden, one of the prominent voices of the independent music scene in recent years, is coming to the library for a performance with the songs and sounds that are on the seam between the dark and the light, between the distant and the familiar and between our everyday routine and the existential.
8.30pm & 9.30pm: Night – The Moran Ensemble
In the darkened hall where the library’s ancient and rare treasures are displayed, the voices of the Moran Ensemble will sparkle in an a cappella program: between glow and light, sleep and wakefulness, reality and dream.
8.30pm & 9.30pm: In the Darkness of the Warehouse – A Collection of Strange Items
Among the library’s treasures are quite a few items that are not books, which do not find their place on the bookshelves or in the permanent exhibition. Special objects from a multitude of periods and places, which have been deposited in the library for a lifetime, and each of them treasures a strange and interesting story.Like the tefillin of Moshe Montefiore, an ivory medallion of the daughter of the false prophet Jacob Frank, and a story by Agnon written on an eggshell.
9.30pm: One Thousand & One Nights – Late Night Storytime
Relax among the endless bookshelves, and embark on a journey of words and music emerging out of the darkness. Enjoy storytime in the Reading Room at the library.
10pm: Going out into the Light – Bright & Dark in Philosophy
Since ancient Greece, light and dark, sun and shadow, day and night have played a central role in Western philosophy. Just before the clock is moved, Dr. Jeremy Vogel arrives to guide you through the intricacies of the struggle between truth and lies, from Plato’s cave government to the 18th century enlightenment.
10pm: Optimism, For & Against – The Debate Club
Optimism — a synonym for naivety or an urgent need? A lively, funny and heated debate between six people with sharp opinions that will challenge everything you thought. Get ready to change your mind.
10pm: Don’t Tell Me About the Night – An Intimate Show with Alma Gov
Singer, songwriter Alma Gov will perform songs from her two albums, and invites you to join an intimate show
11.30pm: First Light – Ehud Banai in Concert
G-d covers himself with a dress of light in this world. A cover for the real light. Like light hiding within light. But only from the darkness can you see the light. Only at night can you see the distant stars light years away. Ehud Banai invites you on a journey following words and sounds from the black lake to the tip of every finger – a ray of light.
