A Yerushalmi neighborhood. How much flavor and color come to mind when you think of an authentic, old-time neighborhood in the Ihr Hakodesh? Laundry flapping in the breeze from lines that run between Jerusalem stone-covered buildings that are a hundred shades of beige. Young children hurrying to cheder with their bags over their shoulders and their peyos dancing in the breeze. The scent of bubbling chicken soup or cholent emanating from the homes on erev Shabbos and erev Yom Tov, the noisy and heartfelt tefillos emanating from the little neighborhood shtiebel.
Some people mistakenly call the entire area of Meah Shearim, Zichron Moshe, Bucharim, and Beis Yisrael — Geula. Let’s take a few minutes to sort this out by taking a short tour of Yerushalayim’s neighborhoods. We’ll savor the unique “scent” of each area, get a feel for it from up close, and enjoy every minute.
Meah Shearim
When people talk about the real, authentic Yerushalmi experience, they’re talking about Meah Shearim, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. In fact, it was one of the first five neighborhoods built outside of the Old City walls by Moses Montefiore.
The area was built in 1874, in a “courtyard” framework with a circle of buildings forming a protective wall around a large internal courtyard that had water cisterns. Ever since it was founded, the area has been very densely populated. Over time the area expanded and additional buildings were constructed both within the courtyard and outside of it, such that today it is built like a regular, though more crowded, neighborhood. The main streets of the neighborhood are Strauss, Meah Shearim, and part of Malchei Yisrael. Kikar Shabbos is in the center.
Many illustrious communities call Meah Shearim home, such as Satmar, Slonim, Toldos Aharon, and Toldos Avraham Yitzchak, among others. At the heart of the neighborhood is the “kingdom” of the Mir Yeshivah, which has become an integral part of this traditional and insulated neighborhood. Every morning, dozens of buses pull up to the yeshivah as they bring thousands of avreichim to this citadel of Torah. The area surrounding the yeshivah pulses with vibrant Jewish life, as the shakla v’tarya of their limud spills out onto the adjacent streets.
As you stroll around the neighborhood, if you find yourself hankering for a geshmack challah or a danish, head over to the Nechama bakery. If you’re in the mood for cholent, Deitsch’s restaurant is the place to be. More of a kugel and stuffed cabbage fan? Shtissel’s will be happy to oblige. Whatever you pick, you won’t leave Meah Shearim hungry.
Zichron Moshe
Named for Sir Moses Montefiore, this was built as a special, exclusive neighborhood with clear rules and guidelines that detailed the type of stone to use, the width of the streets and sidewalks, tree-lined boulevards, public gardens, drainage and sewage systems, and even pipes to connect to the city’s water main, etc.. (At the time this was cutting-edge city planning!) Over the years the neighborhood lost its elegant look and became a classic frum area that features many chassidish communities such as Boyane and Satmar.
The Zichron Moshe shtieblach. There’s no Yerushalmi yid who hasn’t heard of it. Maybe even no frum yidden in Eretz Yisrael who don’t know. The shtieblach is hopping twenty four hours a day, with minyanim and action non-stop. Going to daven Shacharis at the shtieblach? Make sure to bring along cash so you’ll have tzedakah to give to all the collectors who make their rounds there.
Next to the shtieblach you’ll find the International Daf Hayomi Center. They are responsible for much of the Daf Hayomi learning that goes on in our times. All year long the center prints lightweight booklets that contain the dapim of that month. They give the learners the ability to study on the go, wherever life takes them.
A few meters away you’ll find the Avichail Bakery. Not that you need an article to tell you. You can smell your way there. Founded approximately 90 years ago, when the neighborhood itself was first established, it was originally set up as the communal oven for the neighborhood, where every family brought their Shabbos food to keep it warm. Nowadays, it’s still a small family business, run by the fourth generation of the Avichail family. Stop in for baked goods and Shabbos takeout like cholent and kugel.
Geula
The original Geula neighborhood was established during the first years of British rule in Eretz Yisrael, on land that was referred to as the Schneller woods. The streets bear the names of many Nevi’im, except for the main thoroughfare which is called Malchei Yisrael. Once upon a time, Geula was a quiet, close-knit residential neighborhood whose residents formed a colorful mosaic of backgrounds and professions. Some of the locals were frum while others were traditional. The popular shifted over time and now it is primarily frum.
In recent years, since the opening of a large shopping center called Rav Shefa, Geula’s role as the frum shopping area has lessened. Despite that, Geula is still definitely worth a visit, and you’re sure to get a good view of the frum Yerushalayim shopping experience when you do.
Bucharim
This neighborhood takes its name from its founders, Jews from Buchara in Russian Turkestan (now Uzbekistan) who built it before WWI. Among them were the rabbanim, Harav Yosef Kujhinoff and Harav Shlomo Moussaieff. The founders’ objective was to follow a European recipe. As such, the streets are laid out in a crossed pattern and a nearby area was designated for the planting of trees — an uncommon choice for Yerushalayim of those years. The buildings of the neighborhood were large and grand, and the wealthy residents opened their homes to honored guests, consuls, and governors.
Bucharim endured a major crisis during the First World War when the menfolk were forcibly drafted into the Turkish army and some fled Eretz Yisrael to avoid that fate. In addition, the area got cut off from its backers in Buchara, after the victory of the Russian Empire over the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire. After the war, many of Bucharim’s wealthy residents left for greener pastures and the large homes were subdivided and rented to poor families, primarily from Kurdistan and North Africa.
The population of the area changed over the ensuing decades and today it is primarily occupied by frum families who moved from the nearby neighborhoods of Beis Yisrael and Geula. The area is generally comprised of families from the Sephardic, Striklov, Sadigura, and Tolna communities.
We can’t finish any write-up of Bucharim without mentioning the Bucharim shuk, a small marketplace that was recently renovated by the Jerusalem municipality and other governmental agencies. Although it is only 200 meters in size, it is still bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables, clothing, shoe shops, toys, fresh spices, and more.
Now that you’re familiar with these neighborhoods, and the fine distinctions between them, you’re invited to walk down the alleyways of each one. Enjoy!