A unique Hanukkah tour in Jerusalem's Nachlaot neighborhood | Bringing light into our lives
Technical details
Tour times
Thursday, December 26, 5:00 PM, second candle of Hanukkah.
Tour duration: approximately 2.5-3 hours.
Coming as a group or prefer a private tour? We'll arrange it on a date that suits you.
Price
Meeting point
Meeting point: 15 Agrippas Street, Jerusalem. Opposite Agrippas Hotel.
End point: Mahane Yehuda Market.
Notes
The tour is open to everyone.
Minimum group size: 8 participants. Maximum: 20 participants.
You can book a tour in English.
The Nachlaot neighborhood in Jerusalem is a cluster of 32 sub-neighborhoods that were built at the end of the 19th century. and the beginning of the twentieth century. The beginnings of these neighborhoods were part of the process of leaving the walls, while the newer ones were established by new immigrants from different ethnic groups.
The original population in the neighborhoods was heterogeneous, Ashkenazim, Sephardim from Yemen, Persia, Kurdistan, Aleppo, and more. And they created a fascinating human mosaic and stories of life in the past...
The Nachlaot neighborhood in Jerusalem is a cluster of 32 sub-neighborhoods that were built at the end of the 19th century. and the beginning of the twentieth century. The beginnings of these neighborhoods were part of the process of leaving the walls, while the newer ones were established by new immigrants from different ethnic groups.
The original population in the neighborhoods was heterogeneous, Ashkenazim, Sephardim from Yemen, Persia, Kurdistan, Aleppo, and more. And they created a fascinating human mosaic and stories of old about Jerusalem life: the various customs, acts of kindness, love stories and real estate projects.
This Hanukkah, and during this time when we realized that we have no other country, it is time to absorb the light and aromas of the nostalgic Jerusalem neighborhood.
Tour structure:
Sukat Shalom neighborhood
▶ We will get background on the period of "leaving the walls."
◀ We will meet an interesting trio: a Jewish tinsmith from Minsk, a Jew from the Navon family - a rabbinical dynasty from Spain, and a Swiss Christian Protestant banker who joined a real estate venture in the neighborhood.
◀ We hear about a pioneering wedding of an Ashkenazi and Sephardic family.
Aryeh Levin House
We will get to know the man of mercy, the father of prisoners – Rabbi Aryeh Levin.
◀ Let's get to know the period in which Aryeh Levin was active.
◀ We hear what happened when Chaim Be'er Haid met Rabbi Levin.
Houses of Destiny
◀ We will hear about the immigration of Yemeni Jews in "A'ale Bat Tamar."
◀ We will understand how the Jews of Yemen nevertheless received homes while they were refused to give them any of the partition money.
◀ We will learn about the time share system that was common at the end of the 19th century.
Beersheba Street
◀ We will begin at the Ades Synagogue, the most magnificent of all the synagogues in Nahlaot, built by the wealthy Ades family from Aleppo, and hear the mysterious story of the Aram Tsuba Crown.
◀ Further down the street, we will discover the most beautiful alleys of Nachlaot.
Throughout the tour, we will see the menorah lights outside the houses and through the windows, walk through the alleys and hear stories about communities, loves, a Spanish orchard, and more.
We will end at the lively Mahane Yehuda Market – which blends the Jerusalem experience of yesteryear with the experience of today.
Guide details:
Ronen Rosenberg
"I grew up in a traditional Jewish home in New York. We spent summer vacations with close family in Israel, and so I was quickly drawn to the country, its history, and its culture. Immigrating to Israel was a dream come true: to travel the land of our ancestors, to feel our history and roots while belonging to the young state.
I served in the IDF for about 10 years, as a lieutenant colonel (there used to be such a thing). After my service, I took part in the boom in Israeli entrepreneurship and technology. For the past twenty years, I have managed marketing and business development at leading bio-med companies.
I have a BA in Biology, an MA in Business Administration, and an MA in Israeli Heritage, during which, as part of my thesis, I explored the place of science and technology in Zionist thought. I am a certified tour guide from the Ministry of Tourism, and a graduate of Yad Yitzhak Ben-Zvi.
Today I am returning to my old-new love: traveling through the charming landscapes of our country, and exploring a journey of three thousand years of heritage in a prosperous country full of attractions and entertainment.
I am happy to share this love with you."
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