Berkeley Hillel’s first-ever Israeli film festival, “The Spirit of Tel Aviv,” will kick off with a screening of Eytan Fox’s “The Bubble” (“Ha-Buah”) at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1, at U.C. Berkeley’s Pacific Film Archive.

Fox’s 2006 film follows a group of gay and straight Israeli and Palestinian youths with intersecting love lives, played out in different neighborhoods of Tel Aviv.

The Israeli fest will screen one film a week during February, with Fox’s 2004 drama “Walk on Water” on Feb. 8; Ra’anan Alexandrowicz’ 2003 modern fable “James’ Journey to Jerusalem” on Feb. 14; and Shira Geffen and Etgar Keret’s 2007 drama of interlocking stories, “Jellyfish,” on Feb. 22.

U.C. Berkeley students and Berkeley Hillel staff organized the film screenings — all of which are free and open to the public. Pacific Film Archive is located at 2575 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. For more information, call (510) 845-7793.

J. covers our community better than any other source and provides news you can't find elsewhere. Support local Jewish journalism and give to J. today. Your donation will help J. survive and thrive!