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Givat Shaul ({{lang-he|גבעת שאול}}, lit. (
Saul's Hill) is a predominantly religious neighborhood in western
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
, 820 meters about sea level, named after the "Rishon Lezion," Rabbi Yaakov Shaul Elyashar, the Sephardi
chief rabbi of Eretz IsraelThe Chief Rabbinate of Israel is the supreme Jewish religious governing body in the state of Israel. There are always two active Chief Rabbis in Israel, an Ashkenazi rabbi and a Sephardi rabbi known as the Rishon L'Tzion....
, and not, as commonly believed, for the biblical King
Saul-People:Saul is a given/first name in English, the Anglicized form of the Hebrew name Shaul from the Hebrew Bible:* Saul , including people with this given namein the Bible:* Saul , a king of Edom...
, whose capital was probably located on a hill near
Pisgat Ze'evPisgat Ze'ev , is a neighborhood of Jerusalem, with almost 50,000 residents. Building commenced in 1982 on land de facto annexed by Israel east of the green line, and the first families moved in three years later...
, on the way to
RamallahRamallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank adjacent to al-Bireh with a population nearly 25,500...
. It is located at the western entrance to the city, east of the neighborhood of
Har NofHar Nof is a neighborhood on a hillside on the western boundary of Jerusalem, Israel, with a population of 20,000 residents, primarily Orthodox Jews.-History:...
and north of
Kiryat MosheKiryat Moshe is a neighborhood in western Jerusalem, Israel named for the British Jewish philanthropist Moses Montefiore. Kiryat Moshe is bordered by Givat Shaul.-History:...
.
History
Givat Shaul was established in 1906 on land purchased from the Arab villages of
Deir YassinDeir Yassin was a Palestinian Arab village of around 600 people near Jerusalem. It had declared its neutrality during the civil war between Arab and Jewish Palestinians...
and
LiftaLifta was an Arab village on the outskirts of Jerusalem depopulated in 1948. It is believed to have existed since Biblical times...
by Rabbi Nissim Elyashar, Arieh Leib and Moshe Kopel Kantrovitz. The first settlers were primarily
Yemenite JewsYemenite Jews are those Jews who live, or whose recent ancestors lived, in Yemen Yemenite Jews (Hebrew: תֵּימָנִים,
Standard Temanim
Tiberian ; singular תֵּימָנִי,
Standard Temani
Tiberian ) are those Jews who live, or...
who engaged in agriculture. Later, they were joined by families from Meah Shearim and the Old City, some Ashkenazi and some Sephardi. The Ashkenazim built the first public building, Beit Knesset HaPerushim.
In 1912, an embroidery and sewing workshop was opened with the help of a Jewish philanthropist, Rabbi Slutzkin. Other industries established in Givat Shaul were the Froumine biscuit factory, a factory for kerosene heaters that manufactured arms for the British army during the British Mandate of Palestine and a matza factory. In 1927, the
Diskin OrphanageThe Diskin Orphanage was an orphanage in the Old City of Jerusalem, establishedin 1881 by Yehoshua Leib Diskin. From the Jewish Quarter, it moved to Rehov Hanevi'im outside the walls of the Old City...
moved to Givat Shaul from the Old City. The building, designed by a local architect named Tabachnik, was home to 500 orphan boys.
Angel's bakery moved to its present location in Givat Shaul in 1958. The Angel brothers, Danny, Ovad and Avraham, designed a pipeline that brought flour from the mill across the road, for which they were awarded the Kaplan Prize for productivity and efficiency. The bakery's outlet store on the corner of Beit Hadfus and Farbstein streets opened in 1984.
Demography
The population consists of a mix of Haredi and Religious Zionist Jews. The northernmost part of the neighborhood, directly above
Highway 1{{Mergefrom|Highway 9 |date=July 2009}}{{Mergefrom|Highway 9 |date=July 2009}}{{Israeli Highways routebox|| image= ISR-HW1.PNG| highway= 1| hebrew=| align="center" |...
, is an overwhelmingly Haredi neighborhood, while the residents of the residents of the southern part, bordering Kiryat Moshe, are overwhelmingly Modern Orthodox - synonym for Religious Zionist.
Northern Givat Shaul
The northern part of Givat Shaul is populated mainly by Haredim, and the main street is closed to traffic on
ShabbatShabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from sundown Friday until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night...
and Jewish holidays. Several major synagogues are located here, including the
Pressburg YeshivaPressburg Yeshiva may refer to:* Pressburg Yeshiva , founded in 1807 by Rabbi Moses Sofer * Pressburg Yeshiva , founded in 1950 by Rabbi Akiva Sofer , great-grandson of the Chasam Sofer....
and neighborhood synagogue, and the Zupnik - Ner Yisroel synagogue. The population consists of a mix of
HasidicHasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew: , Hasidut, meaning "piety") is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith. The majority of Hasidic Jews are ultra-orthodox....
, Litvishe and Sephardi/
MizrahiMizrahi Jews or Mizrahim, , also referred to as Edot HaMizrach are Jews descended from the Jewish communities of the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caucasus. The term Mizrahi is used in Israel in the language of politics, media and some social scientists for Jews from the Arab world and...
Haredim, and a small minority of National-Religious Jews. The rabbi of the
Zupnik - Ner Yisroel synagogue is
Avrohom Yitzchok UlmanRabbi Avrohom Yitzchok Ulman is a senior Haredi rabbi living in Jerusalem.He was born in Hungary and immigrated to Israel as a child. He serves on the Beis Din , also known as the Badatz, of the Edah HaChareidis, Jerusalem's council of Haredi communities...
, a senior member of the rabbinical high court, or
BadatzBadatz , a Hebrew acronym for "Beit Din Tzedek," or "Court of Justice," is a modern term used for a major Jewish rabbinical court.In Israel, the term 'Badatz' is often used to refer to the Badatz of the Edah HaChareidis; however, it is not the title of this group, and other batei din use the title...
, of the Edah HaChareidis. Other important rabbis living in Givat Shaul are Rabbi Yehoshua Karlinsky, rabbi of the Beer Avrohom synagogue; Rabbi Tennenbaum, rabbi of the Babad synagogue and Rabbi Shmuel Taussig, Admor of Toldos Shmuel.
Southern Givat Shaul
In the southern part of Givat Shaul, the population predominantly consists of
Modern OrthodoxModern Orthodox Judaism is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize traditional observance and values with the secular, modern world....
Jews, affiliating with
Religious ZionismReligious Zionism, or the Religious Zionist Movement is an ideology that combines Zionism and religious Judaism, basing Zionism on the principles of Torah, Talmud et al...
. This section borders
Kiryat MosheKiryat Moshe is a neighborhood in western Jerusalem, Israel named for the British Jewish philanthropist Moses Montefiore. Kiryat Moshe is bordered by Givat Shaul.-History:...
and is often also referred to as such. Institutions in this area include the main synagogue of Rabbi
Mordechai EliyahuMordechai Eliyahu is a prominent rabbi, posek and spiritual leader. He served as the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 1983 to 1993.-Background:...
, a major center of Sephardic Religious Zionism, as well as the primarily Ashkenazi national-religious flagship
Mercaz HaRavMercaz HaRav is a national-religious yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel, founded in 1924 by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook. It has become synonymous with his teachings.-History:...
yeshiva.
Givat Shaul Bet
The commercial area on Kanfei Nesharim and Beit HaDfus streets, lined with shops, clothing outlets, office buildings and government agencies, is sometimes referred to as
Givat Shaul Bet. Geographically, it lies between Har Nof and Kiryat Moshe. Two of Jerusalem's largest bakeries (Angel's Bakery and Bermann), are located in the Givat Shaul industrial zone. Government offices include the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the National Authority of Religious Services, the State Comptroller and Ombudsman, and the National Parks Authority. The Israeli branch of
Touro CollegeTouro College is a Jewish-sponsored independent institution of higher and professional education, in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by Dr. Bernard Lander, the College was established primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage, and to serve the larger American community. Over 23,651...
is also in Givat Shaul.
Har HaMenuchot
On the northwestern ridge of the neighborhood lies
Har HaMenuchotHar HaMenuchot is the largest cemetery in Jerusalem, Israel. It is located at the western edge of the city adjacent to the neighborhood of Givat Shaul, with commanding views of Mevaseret Zion to the north, Motza to the west, and Har Nof to the south...
, Jerusalem's largest cemetery. Between the northern section of Givat Shaul and the cemetery is another commercial zone consisting of several large stores and office buildings. The Herzog psychiatric hospital, Egged's bus maintenance facility, and the main depot for the Jerusalem municipality's sanitation services are also located there.
Deir Yassin
On April 9, 1948,
IrgunIrgun was a militant Zionist group that operated in the British mandate of Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of the earlier and larger Jewish paramilitary organization Haganah...
and
LehiLehi refers to:In Mormonism:* Lehi , a prophet in the Book of Mormon of the 7th-6th centuries BC* Lehi, son of Helaman, another prophet in the Book of Mormon of the late 1st century BC...
forces occupied the Arab village of
Deir YassinDeir Yassin was a Palestinian Arab village of around 600 people near Jerusalem. It had declared its neutrality during the civil war between Arab and Jewish Palestinians...
and expelled the remaining residents. According to some, a massacre, now known as the
Deir Yassin MassacreThe Deir Yassin massacre took place on April 9, 1948, when around 120 fighters from the Irgun and Lehi Zionist paramilitary groups attacked Deir Yassin near Jerusalem, a Palestinian-Arab village of roughly 600 people...
was committed there, but Israel denies this. In 1955, the Jordanian newspaper
Al Urdun published the account of a survivor who said that the Arabs had deliberately exaggerated horror stories about atrocities in Deir Yassin to encourage others to fight, but unwittingly had caused them to flee. The village was repopulated by Israelis and renamed Givat Shaul Bet.
When the residents of Givat Shaul heard of the attack, a large group gathered in Deir Yassin to protest.
Meir Pa'ilMeir Pa'il is an Israeli politician and academic historian.-Biography:Born in Jerusalem during the Mandate era, Pa'il served in the Palmach between 1943 and 1948, after which he became a Brigade commander in the new Israel Defense Forces. He also headed the Central Officers School and the...
describes the scene in his memoirs:
"Meanwhile a crowd of people from Givat Shaul, with peyot {earlocks} , most of them religious, came into the village and started yelling ‘gazlanim’ ‘rozchim’ - (thieves, murderers) "we had an agreement with this village. It was quiet. Why are you murdering them?" They were Chareidi (ultra-orthodox) Jews. This is one of the nicest things I can say about Hareidi Jews. These people from Givat Shaul gradually approached and entered the village, and the Lehi and Irgun people had no choice, they had to stop. It was about 2:00 or 3:00 PM. Then the Lehi and Irgun gathered about 250 people, most of them women, children and elderly people in a school house. Later the building became a "Beit Habad" - "Habad House.’ They were debating what to do with them. There was a great deal of yelling. The dissidents were yelling ‘Let’s blow up the schoolhouse with everyone in it’ and the Givat Shaul people were yelling "thieves and murderers - don’t do it" and so on. Finally they put the prisoners from the schoolhouse on four trucks and drove them to the Arab quarter of Jerusalem near the Damascus gate. I left after the fourth truck went out."
Notable residents
- Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe
Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe was a Haredi rabbi born in Berlin and died in Jerusalem. He is best known as the author of Alei Shur , a mussar book discussing personal growth as it pertains to students of the Talmud.-Life and teaching positions:August Wilhelm Wolbe was raised in an irreligious Jewish home and...
, rabbi of the Ohel Yehonoson - Chanichei HaYeshivos synagogue on Amram Gaon Street
- Rabbi Mordechai Zuckerman
- Rabbi Aharon Tausig
- Rabbi Avrohom Yitzchok Ulman
Rabbi Avrohom Yitzchok Ulman is a senior Haredi rabbi living in Jerusalem.He was born in Hungary and immigrated to Israel as a child. He serves on the Beis Din , also known as the Badatz, of the Edah HaChareidis, Jerusalem's council of Haredi communities...
- Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu
Mordechai Eliyahu is a prominent rabbi, posek and spiritual leader. He served as the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 1983 to 1993.-Background:...