In 1891, a visionary named Yitzchak Lipkin laid the foundation for Sha’arei Yerushalayim. This wasn’t just another neighborhood. Sha’arei Yerushalayim, meaning “Gates of Jerusalem,” earned its name by being the closest neighborhood to the city entrance. Lipkin, a Russian Jewish immigrant businessman, believed in self-sufficiency. He challenged the prevailing halukka system of welfare handouts, encouraging residents to earn their own living. He financed Sha’arei Yerushalayim and the neighboring Ohel Shlomo, offering houses with manageable payment plans. Designed as an “open courtyard,” Sha’arei Yerushalayim featured one and two-story buildings surrounding a central space. Two reservoirs collected rainwater, a vital resource distributed to families during the dry summer months. By 1892, 43 homes filled the courtyard, growing to 44 homes housing 187 occupants by 1916. Sha’arei Yerushalayim quickly became a desirable address, attracting prominent Jewish families. Its prime location was further enhanced by the opening of Sha’arei Zedek Hospital in 1902, just across the street. The Sephardic Old Age Home followed in 1904, solidifying the area’s importance. Interestingly, this area became Jerusalem’s first bus station hub in 1931. Buses from HaMekasher and Egged operated from a garage opposite Sha’arei Yerushalayim, next to the hospital. The station buzzed with activity until 1939 when it relocated to Kiryat Moshe. By 1938, Sha’arei Yerushalayim’s population reached 400, primarily Sephardi Jews. Over time, the neighborhood evolved. Some single-story homes were repurposed into workshops and yeshiva classrooms. Then came the Jerusalem Light Rail. Construction began in 2002, and while some historic buildings along Jaffa Road were saved, Sha’arei Yerushalayim’s structures facing the road were deemed too dilapidated. They were demolished, but their memory lives on. A concrete memorial now stands, inlaid with the original door and window frames. The turquoise, terracotta, and ochre hues highlight these remnants, a poignant reminder of Sha’arei Yerushalayim’s rich past.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to