Think You Know Jerusalem?
You may have been to Jerusalem dozens of times but do you really know the different neighborhoods and their histories?
Baka (Geulim)
The Baka neighborhood was established in the 1920s, by wealthy Arab citizens who abandoned their homes during the War of Independence. These homes were inhabited by the Jewish refugees from the Old City, and by the Olim hadashim (new immigrants) that started making their way to Israel after the war. Today, the neighborhood is home to many Olim that made it their home over the years, so when you walk around its streets, chances are you will hear people speaking English or French before you hear Hebrew.
Did you know?
This small neighborhood has four different schools in its close borders, and its real name isn’t even Baka, it is in fact “Geulim”! Surprised? To be honest, we were as well...
Rehavia
The Rehavia neighborhood was built in the 1920s, on land that belongs to the Greek-Orthodox Church. The neighborhood is considered by many to be the ideal location in Jerusalem, as it is close to all the main areas in the city. It borders with the downtown area, it is close to Gan Saher and the entrance to the city, and it is within walking distance to the First Station and Emek Refaim. Our favorite part of Rehavia would have to be Aza Street, a lively block full of restaurants, cafes, and fun places to chill.
Did you know?
Were you as surprised as we were when we learned about the Greek-Orthodox Church’s involvement? Well, apparently the church owns many plots of land in Jerusalem, Caesarea, Jaffe, and all across the country!
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Yemin Moshe
Yemin Moshe was one of the first neighborhoods to be built outside of the Old City walls, during the expansion of Jerusalem in the late 19th century. It is named after the famous Jewish British philanthropist Moshe Montefiore, who aided tremendously towards the establishment of Jewish communities in Jerusalem, Safed, Tiberias, and Hebron. Now, the history of this neighborhood is fascinating, but if there is one thing you need to know about this place, it’s that it has the most beautiful view in Jerusalem. If you don’t have a picture of yourself standing next to the famous Windmill, with the Old City in the background, were you even technically in Jerusalem?
Did you know?
All the metal poles that were used to build the neighborhood were shipped over from Britain because they couldn’t manufacture them in Jerusalem at the time. In another anecdote, there seems to be a little dispute on whether or not the mill was ever used to mill flour. Some people, amongst them you can find Yehuda Amihai (the famous poet), seem to believe the mill was never put to use. What do you think?
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