Let's visit Even Yisrael Street in Jerusalem


Even Yisrael Street in Jerusalem - history tucked just off the shuk (market) Mahane Yehuda, situated between Jaffa Road & Agrippas Street,

In 1875, Yosef Rivlin & Yehoshua Yellin bought land from the Arab El‑Halili family to build one of the first Jewish neighbourhoods outside the Old City walls. At the time, the area was considered risky & remote – exposed to bandits & lacking any city infrastructure or protection.
Stone walls & gates were built around the neighbourhood to offer both security & a shared communal living.
The courtyard‑style planning, stone façades, arched doorways & ornate wrought iron details created a unique neighbourhood for an unusually diverse Ashkenazi‑Sephardi community, including craftsmen, merchants, scholars & rabbis. A bold & beautiful beginning to modern Jerusalem.
The name Even Yisrael (“Stone of Israel”) comes from the biblical verse:
“From there is the Shepherd, the Stone (Even) of Israel” (Genesis 49:24).
The word "Even" (אבן) has a numerical value of 53, symbolically matching the 53 families who founded the neighbourhood.
Notable residents included:
*Rabbi Yaakov Shaul Elyashar, the Hacham Bashi (Chief Rabbi of Ottoman Palestine)
*Avraham Moshe Luntz, renowned publisher & scholar
*Members of the pioneering Yellin family
*Ancestors of celebrated author A. B. Yehoshua
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Please don't hesitate to be in touch if you would like to join us to explore the lanes, stories & spirit of Even Yisrael with Imagine Israel Tours.
imagineisrael8@gmail.com, or by
phone/WhatsApp +972 54 2390412
photo credit: נסים חביב

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