The most important word in the famous phrase “hugging and wrestling with Israel”, is the word “and”. JW3’s festival embodies the balance brilliantly. Here are some of the fun for the sake of fun events they have planned.

On Bank Holiday Sunday there is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to find a different side to Israeli dancing! The artistic director of Israel’s Batsheva Dance Company, Ohad Naharin, developed a world-renowned movement language called Ga-Ga, that he insisted was appropriate for non-dancers as well as professionals. Ga-Ga People is now an international organisation, running amazing workshops for all – dancers and non-dancers, from age 18 to age 120.

We’ll get a chance to participate in this Ga-Ga workshop on the morning of May 4th. No limitations for anyone above 18 – note there are no mirrors and no photographs, and not an accordion in sight!

This is a gorgeous light and frothy film about a group of Israeli friends who enter a sort of Eurovision Song Contest. It’s fun, it’s kitsch, it’s moving and makes no political demands whatsoever! (Phew…) Come along to the screening on the Monday night 28th April, and you can hear the Cupcakes director, Eitan Fox talk about the film and his other work such as Walk on Water, Yossi and Jagger, Florentin and more…

On the morning of Yom Ha’atzmaut itself, Tuesday May 6th, there’s even a cooking workshop with Eran Tibi, the Israeli half of the Zest Restaurant equation. In this intimate session Eran, aka ‘the cheeky chef’, will take the audience on a sensory journey into the tastes and smells of his childhood in Tel Aviv, Carmiel, Holon and Oranit. With a Tunisian father and a mother with Syrian roots, Eran’s culinary influences span the Middle East and take in the best of Sephardi cooking.