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Batei Neitin

Entrance to Batei Neitin

Batei Neitin is a complex of buildings originally constructed as an expansion of the Mea Shearim neighbourhood in Jerusalem.

Construction of the neighbourhood

The Batei Neitin neighbourhood was established in 1901[1][2] by Rabbi Shmuel Zanvil Spitzer,[2] and named after the famous philanthropist and donor, Rabbi Menachem Neitin,[2] who immigrated from the United States to Israel and settled in Jerusalem.[3] He founded the "Menahem Tzion" synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, which became known for its professional craftsmen and artisans who regularly prayed there.

Several prominent figures prayed at the synagogue in the neighbourhood, including the Kabbalist Rabbi Aharon Shlomo Maharil, Rabbi Meir Heller, Rabbi Aharon Yaakov Porush, Rabbi Chaim Yosef Dinkels, Rabbi Yosef Rothman, Rabbi Yaakov Yehuda Salant, and Rabbi Shmuel Teplinsky.

Location and population

Although the idea behind its construction was to expand Mea Shearim, Batei Neitin gained its "independence" and is now considered a separate neighbourhood. In Batei Neitin, synagogues were established for various Hasidic courts and factions in Jerusalem. The Toldos Aharon Rebbi built the central Toldos Aharon Yeshiva in the Batei Neitin complex. Along with the central yeshiva, a Talmud Torah for the children of the Hasidim was also established. Furthermore, most of the neighbourhood is inhabited by members of the Toldos Aharon community.

Like the neighbouring Mea Shearim, Batei Neitin was built as an enclosed area, distinct from its surroundings. The homes in the neighbourhood were constructed as a separation between Mea Shearim and its surroundings, serving as a 'border' between the inner Mea Shearim area and the outer areas beyond the Batei Neitin neighbourhood. Batei Neitin has two main entrances, which pass through the main street buildings of the Mea Shearim neighbourhood, directed inward. These two covered entrances serve as the main passageways in Mea Shearim.

The main street of the neighbourhood is named Z. Spitzer Street, after the founder of Batei Neitin, Rabbi Zanvil Spitzer. The neighbourhood borders Batei Ungarin and Mea Shearim and connects to Mea Shearim Street.

References

  1. ^ Pinchas Mordechai Graievski, Besha'arayich Yerushalayim.
  2. ^ a b c [1] Batei Neitin neighbourhood, Love of Jerusalem.
  3. ^ Yehoshua Ben Aryeh, Yerushalayim hahadashah bereshita, Jerusalem 1999, page 299.