Mea Shearim in the 1930s

Daily Life in One of Jerusalem's Oldest Neighborhoods

Group of Jews in the Mea Shearim quarter, Jerusalem (1934–1939).

Established in 1874, Mea Shearim is one of the oldest Jewish neighborhoods built outside the Old City walls of Jerusalem. Founded by ultra-Orthodox pioneers escaping cramped and unsanitary conditions, it was designed as an enclosed, fortified community and has since become a global stronghold of Hasidic and Haredi Judaism. One of the founders was Yosef Rivlin. He helped found a total of 13 neighborhoods, including Nahalat Shiv’a and Mea Shearim.

Captured by the G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection, this historical photograph offers a glimpse into daily life in one of Jerusalem’s oldest Jewish neighborhoods during the British Mandate period.

📷 Source: Library of Congress
🗂️ Matson Collection
📍 Jerusalem, between 1934–1939
Public Domain.