Nachlaot Tiyul
On Sunday, Kitat Maayan visited one of the most iconic neighborhoods in Jerusalem Nachlaot. Nachlaot is a collection of 23 neighborhoods, the oldest of which, an ultra orthodox chassidic neighborhood called Mishkenot Yisrael, was established in 1875. Shortly after, an Ashkenazi neighborhood called Mazkeret Moshe was established right next to Mishkenot Yisrael courtesy of the deep pockets of a British minister by the name of Moshe Montefiore. Over the next 50 or so years, Jews began to leave the old city due to unsanitary and overcrowded living conditions, and began to build more neighborhoods outside of the wall, including those in what is now called Nachlaot. As more Jewish communities began to spring up outside of the old city, Jews from all over the world began to move to these neighborhoods to get a taste of the holy land.
Many types of Jews live in Nachlaot, including Chassidic and Mis(t)nagdim orthodox Jews. This is huge progress from 200 years ago. In 1772 the Misnagdim Rabbis made being a Chassidic Jew against Jewish Law. The goal was to prevent another messianic letdown, like what happened in Europe with Shabbtai Tzvi in the mid 17th century. The Chassidic Jews differed from the Mitnagdim in that they believed that being Jewish was about having fun while observing Halachah and Jewish tradition. Mitnagdim wanted the Torah to be followed literally, and studied Jewish texts without interpretation. I've been trying to figure out which group I identify with more, and I really don't know. I'm sure this comes as no surprise to anybody, but I find it extremely difficult to identify with orthodox Jews.
One of the most important aspects of Nachlaot is the idea of Meorav Yerushalmi. Meorav Yerushalmi is a meat dish made up of all sorts of meats mixed together. The same idea applies to Jerusalem culture in Nachlaot. There are tons of Jews from all sorts of backgrounds. Yemenite, Sephardi, Ashkenazi, and more. The levels of Judaism in among these groups ranges from completely secular to the most ultra-orthodox outside of Mey'ah Shaarim. My question for you all is how do you think you would fit in to Meorav Yerushalmi? What do you think about the idea of a Jewish cultural melting pot, and how does that relate to your life at home?
I would definitely not fit into Nachlaot because I would never want to live with super religious people, even if I was a minority. Also, in certain areas of the neighborhood you aren't supposed to dress in un-modest clothing which I don't like or agree with. If I'm living somewhere I should be able to dress however I please and not have to worry about getting yelled at. Also, if you want to dress in a suit and hat you can, but don't tell me how I should dress. If it really bothers you so much don't look at me. Also I personally feel as if Orthodox people don't give others a lot of respect, so I wouldn't want to live somewhere where there is a lot of that. I do think it's cool that so many people of different beliefs can live together in such a beautiful place and with cool art. Not all orthodox people are like that... just tend to see that with a lot of them. Actually, in Nachlaot, I said hi to an orthodox Jew, and he smiled and waved back at me. This doesn't really relate to my life at home in a Jewish aspect as much as it does in a racial and ethnic aspect. New York City is so diverse and has all different types of people, which is one of my favorite things about it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could fit into Nachlaot because I wouldn't be able to live amongst such religious people. If Judaism didn't include culture I feel like I could, but since it does, I just don't think I could adhere to their rules just so that they wouldn't get uncomfortable. I like the idea of being in a Jewish melting pot, but not if there is a minority or majority.
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ReplyDeleteI think it would be interesting to live in a community where everyone is different and has different views. I respect all sects of Judaism, and living in a quarter where you can see all of them would be so fun! Also, living in a small quarter where you can meet orthodox and reform Jews and dealing and being patient with each other is very hard to do- and I truly respect the people that live in Meorav Yerushalaim.
I think that living in Nachalot would be okay. It wouldn't be my first choice but I wouldn't be opposed to it. I don't think that it matters what types of Jews you are surrounded by as long as the respect your wishes in the community and you respect theirs. I like the idea of Judaism being a cultural melting pot because it makes things more diverse which is a good thing. This relates to me at home because I go to a very diverse school. Going there allows me to see the world from different types of peoples perspectives and although I might not agree with them it allows me to expand my thoughts on the subject.
ReplyDeleteI think I would enjoy living in Nachalot for the most part. I think that occasionally I would become uncomfortable when I'd have to adhere to the orthodox's rules about clothing, but ultimately I could respect those the best in their courtyards as long as they respect my right to dress how I want when I am in different parts of the town. True tolerance is being able to accept something as different than you without trying to change their opinion, unless they are actively trying to take away my rights. I love the idea of a jewish cultural melting pot. The jewish people are such a wide range of people that there is so much to learn about each individual section.
ReplyDeleteI think I could fit in pretty well in a place like Meorav Yerushalmi. It’s pretty apparent that there is a lot of different kinds of Jews living there and they all seem to live in harmony. Why shouldn’t I be able to live there? I think as long as everyone is respectful of each other it would be a great place to live no matter who you are. The idea of a cultural melting pot is really cool to me. It means that not everyone is exactly the same and everyone brings something different to the community. I really like this idea that their can be diversity but still strong connections within that community. You can really feel how connected eveyone is there too. It reminds me a lot of my home near San Francisco. There are all kinds of different people in the bay area. But we are all apart of the same community.
ReplyDeleteI think living in Nachalot would be a really cool experience. Everyone has different views in Meorav Yerishalmi, but it’s amazing that everyone gets along. As a conservative Jew, I find similarities with both the reform and modern orthodox, the culture, traditions and values and the religious and spiritual prayers/tunes respectively.
ReplyDeleteA Jewish cultural melting pot would be an amazing place to live. I would be able to experience different people's cultures and live while living with them! Living in suburban USA, my local diversity is very little. The time I've spent in urban areas has reminded me of what it means to be apart of humanity as I get to experience people who are not like me! That is a great feeling to be a part of large community that is made up of people unlike you, it makes life interesting and exciting.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the Nachlaot tiyul gave me an understanding of Jews I seldom encounter. Before this, I did not even know about the Mitnagdim. We saw a very strong sense of community that is not paralleled by any Jewish establishment we see today. Though I commend their ways, I also find flaws in their way of life. Because of this tight knit bond between the inhabitants of this neighborhood and many like it, they have very little need for contact with the outside world. This prevents their children from making choices such as leaving the community or getting a job. Especially in Nachlaot where in the little contact outside of it, they still experience a wide range of diversity. The melting pot, or Meorav Yerushalmi is very attractive to people who have little interaction with diversity.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the Nachlaot tiyul gave me an understanding of Jews I seldom encounter. Before this, I did not even know about the Mitnagdim. We saw a very strong sense of community that is not paralleled by any Jewish establishment we see today. Though I commend their ways, I also find flaws in their way of life. Because of this tight knit bond between the inhabitants of this neighborhood and many like it, they have very little need for contact with the outside world. This prevents their children from making choices such as leaving the community or getting a job. Especially in Nachlaot where in the little contact outside of it, they still experience a wide range of diversity. The melting pot, or Meorav Yerushalmi is very attractive to people who have little interaction with diversity.
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