WARNING! Signs in the area caution, "Do not enter our neighborhood
unless your dress and conduct conform to the standards described below," and
then proceed to request that women wear at least knee-length skirts (not
pants), elbow-length sleeves, and nothing tight-fitting. Men should wear below-
the-knee pants. Visitors are also advised not to enter in groups; other signs
remind outsiders that this is a residential area, not a "touristic site." Be warned
that extremists have been known to stone tourists whom they deem improperly
dressed. Whether you're iewish or not, take these warnings seriously to avoid
offending local Hasidim and being asked to leave the area.
The neighborhood, one of Jerusalem's oldest, is among the few remaining Jew-
ish shtetl communities like those that used to flourish in pre-Holocaust Eastern
Europe. Several thousand Ultra-Orthodox Jews live here and in the neighboring
Geula (Hebrew for "redemption"), preserving traditional habits, dress, customs,
and beliefs with painstaking diligence. If your newfound grasp of Hebrew lets you
down, it may be because you're hearing Yiddish, spoken by residents who con-
sider Hebrew too holy for daily use. The neighborhood, just like the Orthodox sub-
urbs to the north and northwest of the city, is largely conservative, but Mea
She'arim's relatively few extremists receive a good deal of publicity for opinions
and actions that do not necessarily reflect those of the entire community. The
Neturei Karta ("City Keepers"), the most extreme sect of the Satmar Hasidim,
oppose the Israeli state, argue that Jewish law prohibits the legitimate existence of
a Jewish country until the coming of the Messiah. While other Ultra-Orthodox
Jews hold similar views, the Neturei Karta once went so far as to ask Yasser Arafat
to accept them as a minority in the future Palestinian state.
Mea She'arim is probably the cheapest place in the world for Jewish books and
religious items. Although the quality is not as high as in the Jewish Quarter of the
Old City, the stores along Mea She'arim St. have vast, affordable selections (see
Judaica, 52). The neighborhood also has some of the city's best bakeries, most
of which are open all night on Thursdays, baking hallah and cake for Shabbat.
GIVAT RAM
ISRAELI SUPREME COURT. This impressive neighborhood is the seat of the
Israeli Supreme Court, completed in late 1992. The designers combined Modernist
flair with themes from ancient Jerusalem's architectural traditions. This architec-
tural masterpiece is worth visiting for the aesthetic experience as well as an under-
standing of the complex, constantly changing IsraeU justice system (keep in mind
that Israel has no constitution). Anyone may sit in on a trial-it's like Court TV, only
live and in Hebrew. The best time to catch a court session is in the morning, just
after the work day begins.
Open Su-Tfi 8:30am-2:30pm. English tour Su-Th noon; call for summer schedule. With advance
nobce, can accommodate most special needs, including touch tours for the blind.)
WOHL ROSE GARDEN. The Wohl Rose Garden, which forms a walking path
between the Supreme Court and the Knesset, is a sublime picnic spot with beauti-
fully manicured lawns and flowers. Take the path on the right when exiting the
Supreme Court building, or climb up to it from anywhere on the main street; leav-
ing the Knesset compound, the path is also on your right. Near the back of the
Supreme Court, part of the garden has been converted into a Garden of All
Nations; a path winds past several dozen small plots growing native shrubs from
countries around the world.