From November 5 to 12, 2026, Jerusalem will host the 27th Jerusalem International Oud Festival. Over eight days, the festival will present 16 performances at the Jerusalem Theatre, the Khan Theater, and Confederation House. The festival is produced by Confederation House under the artistic direction of Effie Benaya. The oud is a pear-shaped, short-necked lute. It has been at the heart of Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Mediterranean and Jewish musical life for centuries. In Israel, it carries the memory of many communities: Jews from Iraq, Morocco, Yemen, Egypt and Syria, as well as Arab, Druze and Christian musicians. Each community has kept its own repertoire, modes and ways of playing, often passed from master to student by ear. When it was founded in 2000, the festival lasted only two days, with every concert held at Confederation House. It has since grown into one of the country’s leading world music events. This year’s program includes: guests from Britain, Greece, India and Morocco new Israeli productions exploring links among the musical traditions of the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and Asia the opening concert by Dudu Tassa and Jonny Greenwood solo concerts by oud players Wassim Odeh, Taiseer Elias and Charlie Sabah the premiere of new compositions by percussionist Itamar Doari a closing performance by Teapacks The oud repertoire is transmitted orally and lives through performance. Festivals like this one give tradition bearers a stage and connect them with new audiences. They also encourage young musicians to carry these sounds forward. Discover more on our pages about Israeli folk music and Arab Israeli music.

This year, the twenty-first session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage will take place in Xiamen, China, from Monday 30 November to Saturday 5 December 2026. The statutory calendar of the 2003 Convention is available here: https://ich.unesco.org/en/schedule-of-statutory-meetings-in-2026-01417 Event: 21st session of the Intergovernmental Committee (30 November 2026 – 5 December 2026)

The Jerusalem Biennale, the largest international platform dedicated to contemporary Jewish art, opens its doors across 21 different venues in Jerusalem. This year’s overarching theme, De Profundis, brings together over 250 Israeli and international artists spanning 42 unique contemporary exhibitions. Organizers highlight that this seven-week city-wide initiative serves as a profound community platform, using visual arts, installations, and group discussions to navigate memory, spiritual identity, and cultural renewal through collective expression. The exhibition runs at major city institutions, including the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem and the Hamiffal Gallery.

Every year on 17 October, the world pauses to celebrate something you can't put in a museum case: living heritage. UNESCO's General Conference proclaimed the International Day of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in November 2023: https://www.unesco.org/en/days/intangible-heritage. It falls on the anniversary of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The first edition took place in 2024, and this year's is the third. Israel's cultural landscape is made up of many communities, each with its own songs, dances, crafts, and stories. Many of these traditions live in elders' memories and in the hands of a few craftspeople and musicians. If they are not passed on, they can disappear within a generation. At ICH Israel, we document, celebrate, and pass on this living heritage, from folk music and folk dance to traditional craftsmanship and the traditions of communities such as the Kurdish Jews. How you can take part Talk to your parents and grandparents and ask them to teach you a song, a recipe, a dance or a story. Record it if you can. Explore our pages on folk music, folk dance and craftsmanship. Become a volunteer and help us safeguard these traditions. Share this post and tell us which tradition you want to see preserved. Heritage lives only as long as people practice it. Happy International Day of the Intangible Cultural Heritage!

On Monday, November 9, 2026 (29 Cheshvan 5787), thousands of Ethiopian Israelis will gather in Jerusalem to celebrate Sigd, the Beta Israel community's great holiday. Observed fifty days after Yom Kippur, Sigd begins at sundown on Sunday, November 8. The name comes from the Ge’ez word for “prostration.” For centuries in Ethiopia, communities fasted, dressed in white, and climbed a mountain to pray facing Jerusalem. This ascent recalls the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai and the great assembly described in the Book of Nehemiah, when the people renewed their covenant with God. Passed down largely through oral tradition, Sigd kept the memory of Jerusalem alive through generations of hardship and separation. Nowadays, the main celebration takes place on the Armon Hanatziv (Sherover) Promenade, overlooking the Old City, and at the Western Wall. The Kessim, the community’s spiritual leaders, read from the Orit, the Ethiopian Torah written in Ge’ez. Worshippers recite prayers and requests for forgiveness, then break the fast in the afternoon with a festive meal, music, and dance. In 2008, the Knesset recognized Sigd as an official state holiday. A tradition once kept by a single community has become part of Israel’s shared cultural heritage. Sigd traditions bring together several domains of the UNESCO 2003 Convention: oral traditions and the Ge’ez language rituals and festive events the transmission of religious knowledge by the Kessim Discover more on our pages about Israel’s communities.

Intangible cultural heritage is community-centered; its true significance stems directly from the communities that practice and live it every day. ICH Israel is currently developing a comprehensive online Inventory spanning domains such as culinary traditions, social practices, traditional craftsmanship, and oral expressions. We invite tradition bearers, researchers, and local groups from all backgrounds in Israel to collaborate with us. Help us document personal testimonies and safeguard your community's unique cultural mosaic.

Education and knowledge transmission are at the absolute core of our mission. As part of our activities, ICH Israel specializes in educational courses and workshops designed for future heritage leaders. We will soon open registration for programs including Folk Dance Teacher, Folk Music Teacher, and Theater Producer certifications. These courses aim to support educators and tradition bearers in keeping performing arts vibrant and structurally recognized across the country.

Israel is home to the world's largest collection of Jewish folktales. The Israel Folktale Archives (IFA) houses more than 24,000 distinct folk narratives. Far from being static history, these stories represent the vibrant memories of over 25 different ethnic communities, including Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Mizrahi, Druze, Bedouin, and Arab folklore. At ICH Israel, we celebrate how these sacred and traditional legends continue to build community identity, linking the generation of storytellers to today’s digital world. Want to help preserve a tale? You can fill out the form on the Safeguarding page.

At the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Israel Center, safeguarding intangible cultural heritage goes hand in hand with preserving the unique languages that carried our stories for centuries. We are developing dedicated research and documentation programs focused on traditional languages such as Yiddish, Ladino, and Judeo-Arabic, alongside the oral traditions of the Ethiopian, Yemenite, Druze, Bedouin, and Circassian communities. Language is a vessel for folk music, religious customs, and poetry. By recording elderly tradition bearers, our center ensures that these distinct voices continue to enrich Israel’s cultural landscape. Do you speak a traditional dialect or know someone who does? Contact us to help us document it.