Jerusalem, Meet Jerusalem: Nahalaot

This coming Friday, July 20, I will be leading the next in my continuing series of Jerusalem walking tours — Jerusalem, Meet Jerusalem. Following logically from my prior tour of the first three Jewish neighborhoods built outside the walls of the Old City (Mishkenot Sha’ananim, Machane Yisrael and Nachalat Shiva), I am now giving a tour of one of the more unique neighborhoods in Jerusalem: Nahalaot. Nahalot finds it origins just a few years after those earliest neighborhoods, and expands on the settlement patterns those first three neighborhoods established.

But there is another reason I wanted to guide in Nahalaot as my next Jerusalem, Meet Jerusalem tour. It is a neighborhood that many of my friends live in, and that most Jerusalemites know, at least superficially. But it is also an area that holds such depth beneath its surface that most people have no idea of the history of the place in which they live or walk.

The history of the neighborhood is complex, and the people who lived there were a true cross-section of Jerusalem’s Jewry — much like its residents today. The stories of the people who lived in this neighborhood are also moving and open a window onto the culture of the city, from the late 19th Century until today. Nahalaot is one of the most diverse and complex areas of Jerusalem, and exploring it can give you a wonderful understanding of the city itself.

If you are interested in joining this Friday’s tour, please email me to reserve a spot, and/or sign up on the Facebook invite. Additionally, if you would like to find out about future tours, feel free to “Like” my Facebook Page.