This week’s TLV events & happenings

Tel Aviv is immeasurable in terms of its capacity for adventure and excitement. At any hour of the day or night, one can find themselves sitting on the beach as the sun rises over the Mediterranean, cappuccino in hand; noshing on Egyptian or Moroccan culinary delicacies served in fourth-generation eateries; browsing edgy fashion by homegrown designers; exploring massive street artworks; dancing to music type from World and hip-hop to funk to rhythm & blues, and beyond.

With all there is to explore – and new hotspots popping up around town at a rapid pace – there’s no denying it, Tel Aviv is a city of the NOW! Locals and travelers alike are constantly seeking to inhabit are spaces in nascent streets with a profound cultural community throughout streets in Levinsky, Jaffa, Levontin and south Tel Aviv.

This week is no different to any other, the city inches out of the work week on Wednesday and Thursday nights, when the bars/restaurants/art spaces suddenly become comfortably packed with an insatiable cultural fiends willing to digest every last bite of creative stew.

For your week and weekend pleasure, we’ve created a selection of several exceptional events, happenings and exhibitions taking place in Tel Aviv this week, which are not to be missed, and which will take place for a limited time only.

Tel Aviv Cinema Club

The first-ever Tel Aviv Cinema Club will feature a collection of short films by talented local and international film makers, including “Greenland,” a 2015 Sundance Film Festival-nominated short film, taking place at Kuli Alma, an established music and cultural institution in Tel Aviv, December 18, 2014. The featured short of the evening is “Greenland” by Oren Gerner, the story of a young adult experiencing his adolescent home as he packs his things to move in with his girlfriend. “Greenland” was named “Best International Short Film” at the 62nd San Sebastian Film Festival, and is nominated for “Best International Short Film” at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival in January 2015. Gerner will be offering a Q&A during the Tel Aviv Cinema Club. The Tel Aviv Cinema Club will also feature two additional short films, including “Tzniut” by David Formentin, the story of a Hasidic woman in Williamsburg, Brooklyn who discovers she has an STD; and “Four Eyes” by Conor Byrne, the story of a 10-year-old boy who is thrust into the tumultuous world of puberty when he gets a new pair of eyeglasses. Location: 10 Mikve Yisrael Street

Meshuna Gallery

With street art as commonplace in Tel Aviv as the sand at the beach, it’s only right that a new street art-focused gallery would emerge in the depths of the city’s creative core. Meshuna Gallery, located on the corner of Herzl and Salame Streets, will host a massive art exhibition + sale, aptly named “Living Transported,” beginning at 12:00 on Friday, December 19 and lasting through the evening.

The event will boast works by more than 50 talented and well-known local artists from various disciplines, including Asi paid, Shahar Marcus, Olga Kundina, Ward Aharonovitz, Dawn lattice, Cherry Golan, Kloneyourself, Foma ♥, Dioz, UNTAY, and beyond. Location: 112 Herzl St.

Candle Lighting at the Great Synagogue on Allenby

An English-language candle lighting event will take place today (December 16) in celebration of the first night of Hanukkah. Sufganiyot and light snacks will be served as Tel Aviv brings in the festive holiday spirit with locals and travelers alike. Arrive promptly at 7:30PM to experience the full spectrum of a community candle lighting in Israel. Location: Allenby and Ahad Ha’am Streets.

Dinner Rush

The final two weeks of December will mark the culmination of “Dinner Rush,” a new pop-up restaurant bringing the likes of six lauded chefs from around Israel to a stunning location on Nachat Binyamin Street in the heart of Tel Aviv. This week through December 20, Ben Machrovsky of Pier 23 will bring his high-end street-style fish and meat stylings to the culinary stage, and chefs from Haifa Bistro Vania will serve succulent, farm-to-table-inspired dishes, December 22-27. For reservations, call 03-546-9937 (Ben Machrovsky) and 04-671-6272 (Haifa Bistro Vania). Location: 48 Nachalat Binyamin Street

Tel Aviv Happening

“Tel Aviv Happening” is a new open-source photo competition encouraging travelers and photographers from Israel and around the world to upload personal images of Tel Aviv in real-time, from beach and street scenes, colorful events, new openings, foodie pics and inspiring vignettes of daily life in the vibrant Mediterranean metropolis, taking place now through January 7, 2015.

Using GuruShots novel real-time platform, which includes a crowd-based voting system, and hosted by world-renowned travel photographer Sivan Askayo, “Tel Aviv Happening” allows participants to compete against thousands of photographers, both amateur and professional, from around the world for a chance to win prizes in one of three different categories: Top Photographer, Top Photo and Guru’s (Sivan’s) Top Pick.

“The “Tel Aviv Happening” competition is a great way to show off this buzzing capital of culture in a fun and innovative way,” said Sivan Askayo. gurushots.com/challenge/pulse/tel-aviv-happening

A new exhibition at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art

Up in the Air, by Tom Friedman is the third in a series of site-specific installations at the Lightfall. Comprising 900 items suspended from the ceiling, at first glance they seem to be ready-made; in fact, they are all painstakingly and carefully hand-crafted. The result is a gigantic, scattered still life, representing the world of objects, forms and images of early 21st century. The installation was first exhibited in 2010 at Magasin III, Stockholm. Location: 27 Shaul Hamelach Boulevard.