| Old Yishuv |
| Jewish life in the Land of Israel before Modern Zionism |
| Key figures |
|---|
| Nahmanides • Yechiel of Paris • Bartenura • Yehuda he-Hasid |
| Economy |
| Kollel • Halukka • Etrog |
| Communities |
| Sephardim • Perushim • Hasidim |
| Synagogues |
| Ramban • Ari • Hurva • Shomrei HaChomos |
| Related articles |
| History of the Jews in the Land of Israel • History of Zionism (Timeline) • Anti-Zionism (Timeline) • Haredim and Zionism • Edah HaChareidis • ShaDaR • Yishuv • Three Oaths |
Kollel Shomrei haChomos (Hebrew: כולל שומרי החומות) is the financial charity institute or kollel to hand support to the Hungarian-Jews who went up to the Holy Land, hence it is called by many the Hungarian Kollel. The Hungarian Jews separated themselves in 1858 from its mother institute Kolel Chibas Yerushalayim which included the Jewish communities of the entire Austrian Hungarian Kingdom, and the Kollel stood under the presidency and leadership of the Ketav Sofer.
By the year 1881 the kollel had built up many apartment buildings to provide housing for its members. This was accomplished in great part thanks to donations by Rabbi Yitzchok Zvi Ratzersdorfer, a Hungarian Jew who later translocated to Antwerp, Belgium and helped build the Jewish community over there. These houses are called Batei Ungarin, in Yiddish Ungarishe Hoiser - the Hungarian Houses.
When the Jewish community had to flee the Old City during the 1938 riots, the Kollel moved its operations to other neighborhoods, including Meah Shearim, Givat Shaul and Ramat Shlomo.
The kollel is still active with Pushka and Halukka money gatherings in America and Europe for the benefit of Jerusalem, and is managing many Torah institutes of the Yishuv haYashan of Jerusalem. Usually it is adherent to the rulings of the Edah HaChareidis; both Grand Rabbis of Satmar, Rabbi Aron and Rabbi Zalman Teitelbaum are on the presidency board among others.