Background
When you enter the Mea She’arim (One Hundred
Gates) neighborhood, just a five-minute walk from
Jerusalem’s city center, you might feel as though
you have been catapulted to a different era. The experience
is almost like visiting a small Eastern European town
one hundred years ago. This densely populated neighborhood
is home to thousands of ultra-orthodox and Hassidic
residents. Each sect, with its unique dress, lifestyle,
and customs, makes a visit to Mea She’arim a
fascinating cultural and sociological experience.
Although there are difficulties involved, Mea She’arim
is a worthwhile place to film for those who want to
capture the many faces of Israeli society.
If you want to film in the area it is recommended
that you have a local contact walk around with you.
In many ways, this part of the city seals itself
off from certain aspects of the modern world. Therefore,
one thing to keep in mind before visiting this neighborhood
is that the locals request that people entering their
neighborhood adhere to their standards of modest dress.
Filming and photographing should be done on weekdays;
on Friday night and Saturday the Sabbath is strictly
observed so you should not enter with any sort of
equipment, including a cell phone.
Sights and Attractions
Once you are in Mea She’arim there are different
things you can consider doing. You can walk around
the neighborhood and observe the surroundings and
buildings, some of which date back to the 1870’s
when the neighborhood was built. The neighborhood
has a distinct atmosphere due to its narrow alleyways,
the protruding balconies covered in laundry, the posters
splattered over the walls advertising news to the
residents, and of course the bustling locals dressed
in their traditional Hassidic garb.
You can also enjoy the array of traditional Jewish
cooking available. In the Avichail and Nechama bakeries
you can find a variety of delicious baked goods, whose
scent can be detected from afar. In the courtyard
of the Shtiebel synagogue, nearing the weekend, there
is a nightly food market where the local young men
congregate. There you can sample a traditional meat
stew called chulent, served in plastic cups. There
is also a neighborhood market, on Ein Yaakov Street,
that has a variety of goods including food, collectors’
items, second hand Judaica, and antiques. All of these
locales are good places to film, reflecting the unique
Mea She’arim way of life.
Mea She’arim is known for being a hub for zealous
religious life. You can observe one type of religious
activity on Friday nights. Around five hours after
sundown, the different Hasidic sects begin their weekly
tish. This is a gathering of all of the followers
around their Rabbi (this is for men only – women
can occasionally watch from an adjacent small room).
The men sing into the night and the leader gives a
speech in Yiddish. Guests are usually welcome as long
as they abide by the customs of the place (men should
cover their heads with a scull cap and dress modestly-
and sorry, no cameras!).
A tish can be found at:
Toldot Aharon Yeshiva - 35 Shivtei Yisrael St.
Toldot Avraham Yitzchak Yeshiva – in the historical
Mea She’arim quarter
Bakeries:
Avichail - 8 Pri Chadash St. Tel: 02-538-5556, Open
Sun to Wed 7:00-22:00, Thurs 7- into the night, Fri
until 15:00.
Nechama – 3 Sonenfeld St., corner of Beit Yisrael
St. Tel: 02-532-3042. Open Sun to Wed 7:00-22:00,
Thurs 7:00- 2:00am, Fri 7:00-15:00.
Shtibel Synagogue – On Pri Chadash St., market
in the courtyard, Wed and Thurs 22:00 until after
midnight.
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