Two three-day cultural festivals to mark Sukkot with poetry, dance, and eco-tours

Two very different artistic sanctuaries will open during Sukkot, one in Jerusalem and one in the Ela Valley, bringing poetry, dance, music, and ecological activity together from September 29 to October 1.

At Jerusalem's Confederation House, the eighth annual Ushpizin Poetry Festival will explore home and memory through verse. Its theme, “Poets Are Called Alive in Death,” uses the traditional sukkah as a metaphor for an inner artistic sanctuary. Effie Benaya and Binyamin Shvili direct the festival, which will feature readings, panels, and live musical accompaniment.

The program will honor late Israeli literary figures Hedva Harechavi, Israel Eliraz, and Haim Gouri, while also turning to international writers including Dante, Osip Mandelstam, and Matsuo Basho. The festival will close with a musical tribute pairing poetry by Natan Zach with compositions by the late Matti Caspi.

At the Vertigo Ecological Art Village, artistic director Sigal Roth will oversee Dance in the Village. The lineup includes an exclusive 2027 pre-premiere by the Vertigo Dance Company, choreographed by Noa Wertheim and Rina Wertheim Koren, as well as performances by the Force of Balance Ensemble, Orly Portal, and Kibbutz 2 dancers.

Free community programming will begin daily at 4 p.m. and include guided eco-tours, a second-hand market, sunset movement sessions, and a veteran art exhibition through Vertigo's Resilience Farm. The final day will focus specifically on families and end with local food and drink.

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Poets Are Called Alive in Death