Arzei HaBira


Arzei Habira is a Haredi neighborhood in Jerusalem. It is bordered by Ma'alot Dafna to the north, Shmuel HaNavi to the west, Beit Yisrael to the south, and Road 1 and Sheikh Jarrah to the east.

Etymology

Arzei Habira literally means "Cedars of the Capital", referring to Jerusalem.

History

Arzei Habira was established after the 1967 Six-Day War in an area which had previously been classified as no-man's land bordering Ramat Eshkol. It was originally considered a sub-neighborhood of Ma'alot Dafna, which was developed around the same time, although it developed its own character and is now known as a separate neighborhood. It is a densely developed area of high quality apartment housing situated around a large, central grass park. It is home to more than 200 families.

Archaeology

In 2012, construction work revealed the façade of a previously undiscovered burial cave. While excavation inside was not feasible, the intricate style of the facade, likely designed in the Attic style, indicates its probable association with a larger group of elaborate Jewish burial caves dating back to the late Second Temple period.

Notable residents