Culture

Culture Minister Zohar releases video skewering the film industry

The Israeli film industry is at its lowest ebb in decades, perhaps ever, as more film festivals around the world openly or covertly boycott Israeli movies.

Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar attends a plenum session at the assembly hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, May 20, 2026.
The tradition of “Mazel Tov” and the belief in luck and fate continue to accompany Jewish life from its ancient roots to the modern world.

Why "Mazel Tov" endures as the Jewish World's Favorite Blessing

EVGENIA DODINA in ‘Mama.’ She exemplifies the kind of woman who has made the devastating choice to leave her family behind so that she can support them.

Israeli actress Evgenia Dodina triumphs in Or Sinai's ‘Mama’ - review

 Israeli journalist Amir Tibon's "The Gates of Gaza" retells his family's experience on Oct. 7 and his country's experience since.

Israeli author Amir Tibon wins Sami Rohr Prize for Oct. 7 memoir


From Euphoria to Red Hot Chili Peppers: What to watch in Israel this week

TV Time: A new Red Hot Chili Peppers documentary, Euphoria’s return, and a comedy classic lead this week’s picks.

ZENDAYA is in the third season of ‘Euphoria.’

'Fantasy Life,' rife with Jewish-American comedy, turns anxiety into an offbeat love story

Fantasy Life is anything but pat, and although I enjoyed the movie when I saw it in Haifa, I found it even funnier and more interesting when I re-watched it on a computer link.

MATTHEW SHEAR and Amanda Peet in ‘Fantasy Life.’

‘Maigret and the Dead Lover’: Bringing French detective back to big screen - review

For those who enjoyed the books, the movie will bring them back to the atmosphere of the police headquarters on the Quai des Orfevres. 

DENIS PODALYDÈS plays author Georges Simenon’s distinguished inspector Maigret in ‘Maigret and the Dead Lover’

What Bill Clinton, Netanyahu, McDonald’s and Starbucks reveal about crisis leadership

In Crisis Management, one of Israel’s best-known crisis advisers argues that the right response depends on the leader, the moment, and the nerve to act before the room spins out of control.

Itay Ben-Horin’s new book, "Crisis Management: Insider Views of How Business and Political Giants Won or Lost Big, And How You Can Apply the Lessons."

Live from the mamad: Laughter is the best medicine amid war

Even comedic masters of timing don’t stand a chance if their set is interrupted by air raid sirens. 

(L TO R) Ana Vincenti, Moe Braun, Martin Winiar, and Hanna Castiel TLV fan Stav Setty.

Jerusalem highlights: March 27-April 2

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

‘A Ma’apilim Ship,’ painting  by Marcel Janco (see Friday).

Online activities: Museums offer programs for kids during Operation Roaring Lion

There is likely no substitute for leaving the house and taking the kids places, but now that this is impossible, many museum and cultural organization websites offer online activities for children.

Mask-making workshop in the style of Picasso on the Haifa Museum website

From Israeli sitcoms to HBO hits: The best streaming picks for Purim

TV Time: Purim is coming up, what should you watch to get in the spirit?

 KEREN MOR as Kochava schemes with butcher Nissim, played by Yaniv Swissa.

A Jerusalem gem: Rediscovering the Rockefeller Museum’s treasures in Israel's capital

New tours of the Rockefeller Museum showcase artifacts ranging from First Temple-period jewelry to Egyptian pharaohs.

Front entrance to Jerusalem’s Rockefeller Museum, opened in 1938.

South Africa pulls out of Venice Biennale; because its selected artist wanted to focus on Gaza

Gayton McKenzie, the South African culture minister, said that an unnamed “foreign country” had endeavored to fund the South African installation at the Biennale.

Minister Gayton McKenzie during the 2026 State of the Nation Address Debate at the Parliamentary Dome on Feb. 17, 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa.