Some old houses are deserted, and there are poorer and richer parts next to each pther. Most of it is renovated though, and because of its central location, and its historical and architectural character - real estate prices are quite high here.
Nachlaot - means estates or privately owned lands in Hebrew. It is a small island located opposite the Jerusalem market (Machane Hayehuda). Over the borders of Nachlaot it is rather dirty, noisy, and busy traffic, reflects modern architecture - but entering the small streets here you suddenly feel like walking in a fairy-tale world, you hear stories, see birds, smell images.
The two busy roads are its boders - Bezalel and Agripas just stress the outstanding charm of this area. Agripas became quite impossible since they relocated the buses here from Jaffo - to give space to the new tram. (The tram is already running! - but noone can use it yet - so its like a ghost of the future - I heard of several versions when it will be open for the public - it seems like the latest November)
Just like in Cracow's, Berlin's, New York's or Budapest's old (Jewish)quarters, Nachlaot attracts students, artists and forever-youngs - who have here an additional hippi-religious feature. Thus, some of its street art also reflects its relation to Judaism.
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| Nachlaot style |
Whoever is strolling here will find tiny old synagogues among the romantic buildings and hidden squares shaded by orange trees. For instance here is the community of the hasid-like, hippi-like, music-oriented rabbi (Rav) Raz, one of the coolest communities of Jerusalem. It is located on the corner of Aryeh and Mishkanot streets. You enter at a blue gate, then climb up on steep stairs. Kabalath shabbath is an absolute must here, sacharit is more fun for guys - as it is not egalitarian. The mechitsah is in the middle, the stands in front of it, right in the middle to the men and women side in the front - just like the torah ark, which is located on the center (in the front). Rav Raz is a great spiritual leader who is using his siddur partially to give the basic rythm - so while singing and moving heavily, he is smashing the book with such a force on the actual page that some pages are already quite devastated and it is hard to say where is the border between the material existence of those words on paper - and the actual meaning / concept of them.
Coming here I finally understood what is kavanah. If you go, expect a lot of singing - and a relative long service - kabalath shabath minimum 1,5 hours (sacharit 3-3,5 hours) - but time flies, and it gives you a chance to actually read the prayers while understanding and experiencing them. Spontaneous dancing, crying, laughing is frequent - and it worth to come right after candle lighting, because it gets crowded very quickly.
Not too much, but Nachlaot also has a bit of usual hip urban staff- there is a second hand clothing store and two pubs - e.g. the Slow Moshe around Nisim Bachar street.
I also have found a small community center here, called Haohel @ Nisim Bachar 25. You can get a very cool design map of Nachlaot here that marks the synagogues, shops, galleries - even the gnizah! Haohel also organizes own events - Torah learning for men and women, open air kabalath shabath, community centered leadership training, and much more!
The nearest dish mikveh to my house was also in Nachlaot, if you live in the center and you need one - here you go. The yellow paper warns the people toyveling not to throw the paper everywhere. Dishes can only be dipped once the papers removed - which is sometimes the most challenging part of this weird custom...
This all is of course only the surface and there are many other small surprises in Nachlaot - this part of the city with its unique atmosphere -
a number one destination for strollers and discoverers, romantics!
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