Mea Shearim (Hebrew: מאה שערים, lit. "hundredfold" or "hundred gates") is one of the oldest Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem, Israel. It is populated mainly by Haredi Jews and was built by the original settlers of the Yishuv haYashan.
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The name Mea Shearim is derived from a verse in the weekly Torah portion which was read the week the settlement was founded: "Isaac sowed in that land, and in that year he reaped a hundredfold (מאה שערים, mea shearim); God had blessed him" (Genesis 26:12). According to a tradition, the community originally had 100 gates, another meaning of mea shearim.[1]
Mea Shearim was established in 1874 as the second settlement outside the walls of the Old City by a building society of 100 shareholders.[2] Pooling their resources, the society members purchased a tract of land outside the Old City, which was severely overcrowded and plagued by poor sanitation, and built a new neighborhood with the goal of improving their standards of living.
Conrad Schick, a German Christian architect and missionary, drew up a plan for Mea Shearim in 1846. Joseph Rivlin, one of the heads of the Jewish community in Jerusalem, and a Christian Arab from Bethlehem were the contractors. The work was carried out by both Jewish and non-Jewish workers.[3]
The quarter was surrounded by a wall, with gates that were locked every evening. By October 1880, 100 apartments were ready for occupancy and a lottery was held to assign them to families. By the turn of the century, there were 300 houses, a flour mill and a bakery. Conrad Schick planned for open green space in each courtyard, but cowsheds were built instead. Mea Shearim was the first quarter in Jerusalem to have street lights.[3]
Today, Mea Shearim remains an insulated neighbourhood in the heart of Jerusalem.[3] With its overwhelmingly Haredi population, the streets retain the flavor of an East European shtetl.[1] Life revolves around strict adherence to Jewish law, prayer, and the study of Jewish texts. Traditions in dress may include black frock coats and black or fur-trimmed hats for men (although there are many other clothing styles, depending on the religious sub-group to which they belong), and long-sleeved, modest clothing for women. In some groups, the women wear thick black stockings all year long, including summer. Married women wear a variety of headcoverings, from wigs to headscarves. The men have beards and some grow long sidecurls, called payot.
Hasidic groups with a large number of followers in Mea Shearim include: Breslov, Slonim, Toldos Aharon, Toldos Avraham Yitzchak, Mishkenos HaRoim, and Satmer. The Pinsk-Karlin dynasty also has its center here. Mea Shearim is the stronghold of both factions of the Neturei Karta movement, as well as the movement from whence they sprung, the descendants of the original Perushim community, also known as "Yerushalmi's". The Edah HaChareidis, which supervises kashrut certification and runs a Jewish religious court, has its headquarters in Mea Shearim. Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliashiv leading posek of Litvish/Yeshivish Jewry, makes his home here.
"Modesty" posters in Hebrew and English are hung at every entrance to Mea Shearim. When visiting the neighborhood, women and girls are asked to wear what is deemed to be modest dress (knee-length skirts or longer, no plunging necklines or midriff tops, no sleeveless blouses or bare shoulders) and tourists are requested not to arrive in large, conspicuous groups. During the Shabbat (from sunset Friday until it is completely dark on Saturday night), visitors should refrain from smoking, photography, driving or use of mobile phones. When entering synagogues, men should cover their heads.[4]