(Information for this article is culled from “Jerusalem, A Walk Through Time” by Dr. Eyal Meron, published by Yad Yitzchak ben Tzvi.)
If you’re looking for a gorgeous place to take family photos, Mishkenot Sha’ananim is the place for you! On a typical day you’ll often find a bride there with her wedding entourage or a family taking bar mitzvah pictures in this picturesque neighborhood overlooking the walls of Yerushalayim’s Old City. Aside from being a prime photo op, Mishkenot Sha’ananim has a story to tell, the story of the expansion of modern Yerushalayim.
In the mid-1800s the Jews of Yerushalyim all lived within the walls of the Old City. Apartments were overcrowded and disease was rampant. Yet people were afraid to leave the security which the city walls provided. Mishkenot Sha’anamim was the first neighborhood built outside of the Old City walls by Sir Moses Montefiore in 1860. The land was originally purchased by Montefiore from the Ottoman Pasha, Ahmed Aga al-Dizdar, in a manner that is whimsically similar to how Avraham Avinu purchased Me’aras Hamachpeila from Efron HaChiti.
Initially, al-Dizdar offered him the land for free; “You are my friend,” he said to Montefiore. After days of requesting a price for the property, al-Dizdar finally told him to take it and just give 1,000 pounds of sterling as a “souvenir.” Montefiore was actually criticized for the exorbitant price he paid for this property.
When Montefiore originally purchased the property, he had planned to erect a hospital there for the Jews of Yerushalayim. When he was told that people would not be interested in going so far from their homes in the Old City for medical treatment, he decided to build a new neighborhood with the hope of alleviating the crowding and poverty within the Old City. First, he had a windmill built so that the Jews of this new neighborhood would have some form of parnasa (livelihood). This windmill evoked great envy from the local Arabs who placed a curse on it. When the windmill didn’t collapse, the Arabs were convinced it was maintained by demons. Today, visitors can see the tall and impressive windmill as well as a replica of the chariot of Montefiore on display in the area.
As we walk around Mishkenot Sha’ananim, we can see the two buildings which Montefiore constructed. One is built to look like a fortress with barred windows and bolts on the doors. The other has dentils on top of the building, reminiscent of the Old City walls. Both of these structural elements were to give people the feeling of security they were used to within the Old City walls. Despite the free housing and better conditions of the Mishkenot Sha’anamim neighborhood, many Jews were afraid to leave the Old City.
Their fears were not unfounded. Jews had been murdered and severely injured nearby. In order to encourage people to move there, Montefiore also offered a stipend to motivate the initial settlement of the new neighborhood. Still, there were those who took the stipend and continued to sneak back into their homes in the Old City at night. It was only after a severe plague broke out in the Old City and claimed many lives that the Jews of Yerushalayim began to appreciate the more sanitary conditions of the new neighborhood and began moving in.
As we continue walking, we enter the Yemin Moshe neighborhood, which was founded in the 1890s by the Montefiore Testimonial Fund. Part of this neighborhood was given to Ashkenazi Jews and part to Sefardi Jews. After the 1948 War of Independence, Yemin Moshe was on the border with Jordan, which occupied the Old City. It was a very dangerous place to be with the constant threat of Jordanian snipers, and thus it became home to mostly poor immigrants.
In 1967, when Israel once again gained control of the Old City, the Jerusalem municipality wanted to change the structure of this neighborhood and gentrify it. The poorer residents of the neighborhood were sent out and the compensation they were given for their homes was quite small. They were replaced by wealthy individuals, many from abroad, who invested large sums in beautifying this quaint neighborhood. The urban planning for renovating this neighborhood was successful, although the ethical ramifications of evicting the poor from their homes is still a dark chapter in the history of modern Yerushalayim.
As we walk around this picturesque neighborhood and smile for the pictures, we can connect to this important landmark in the development of modern Yerushalayim.
Hava Preil is an enthusiastic licensed Israeli tour guide. She grew up on the Upper West Side and holds a master of arts degree in Judaic studies. Hava has developed and taught accredited courses in Tanach and Jewish ethics for Naaleh/Woodmont College and Cybersem. She currently lives in Givat Ze’ev with her family. Hava can be reached at IL:054-844-1579, USA: (845) 391-0438, or at [email protected]. Visit her website, Home – Hava Preil Tours, havapreiltours.com! Hava is also offering virtual tours of various sites in Israel — a perfect activity for your school, synagogue or youth group!
