Glimpses of Israel - The Jewish Quarter

by Joseph Hunting

For centuries four religious groups, Jewish, Armenian, Moslem and Christian have occupied specific sections, and well-defined, within the Old City walls of Jerusalem. Then, during the Jordanian administration of the Old City, from 1949 to 1967, they perpetrated a monstrous programme of desecration of Jewish places of worship. Thirty-four of the thirty-five ancient synagogues were wantonly destroyed.

In spite of a speech given by King Hussein of Jordan on 24th August 1967 in which he claimed: "the right faithfully to guard the holy places that our Arab hands have known how to guard these thousand years and more," the Jordanians used the once-beautiful places of Jewish worship as hen-houses and stables. Even worse, some were dung heaps filled with garbage and as sites for latrines.

In the years that followed the reunification of Jerusalem a wonderful transformation has taken place throughout the whole city. And where there was once ruin and rubble in the Jewish Quarter architects have designed modern apartments, restaurants and spacious courtyards that blend in with the character of the city.

Where it was not possible to rebuild ancient synagogues, some of the ruins have been blended into the surroundings as memorials.

The tranquility of the area is undisturbed by traffic and the prophecy by Zechariah could well have its partial fulfilment: "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem ... And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof." (8:4-5).