Kiryat Menachem: The immigrants’ sanctuary in Jerusalem

Neighborhood Corner: From its modest beginnings with rows of utilitarian housing blocks, Kiryat Menachem has been witness to Jerusalem’s urban expansion.

By ALEX WINSTON NOVEMBER 25, 2024 22:28

Jerusalem's Kiryat Menachem neighborhood. (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Kiryat Menachem, a neighborhood situated in the southwestern part of Jerusalem, tells a story of transformation, resilience, and renewal.

Established in 1959 to house new immigrants, the neighborhood has evolved into a vibrant and diverse community. From its modest beginnings with rows of utilitarian housing blocks, Kiryat Menachem has been witness to Jerusalem’s urban expansion over the many hills and mountains that make up Israel’s capital city.

History

The establishment of Kiryat Menachem began in 1959 in order to relocate immigrants from the transit camp in Kiryat Hayovel. Named after Menachem Bresler, president of the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund in the United States who donated funds for its development, the neighborhood initially comprised 420 housing units allocated to immigrants from Egypt, Morocco, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.

By 1963, some 600 families were living there, and a health clinic operated by Clalit Health Services was inaugurated. Bresler continued to support the neighborhood, funding the construction of a synagogue. However, infrastructure development, such as roads and street lighting, was not completed at the time.

In March 1966, Iceland’s president, Ásgeir Ásgeirsson, visited the neighborhood, inaugurating a street named after Iceland alongside Israeli president Zalman Shazar and Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek. In 1968, hundreds more housing units were added. In 1973, the Histadrut labor federation initiated the construction of 120 rental apartments for young couples in the neighborhood.

Kiryat Menachem and Ir Ganim form a single geographic unit with approximately 20,000 residents.

Kiryat Menachem is characterized by dense construction, with buildings of up to six stories, many of which are apartment blocks. The streets are primarily named after countries, especially in Latin America, that voted in favor of the establishment of the State of Israel in the UN on November 29, 1947. Other streets are named after plants, such as Mallow, Spikenard, and Lilac.

The neighborhood borders Ir Ganim to the south and east, Mount Ora and Moshav Ora to the west, and the forests of the Jerusalem Hills, Kfar Shalem (The Swedish Village), and Kiryat Hayovel to the north.

Steep valleys west of the neighborhood lead to Nahal Sorek north of Hadassah-University Medical Center in Ein Kerem, offering breathtaking views of Ein Kerem, the Sorek Valley, and the Stalactite Cave Nature Reserve. Kiryat Menachem sits at an altitude of approximately 840 meters above sea level, making it one of the highest neighborhoods in Jerusalem.

Many Ethiopian immigrants live in the neighborhood, some since Operation Moses or Operation Solomon, comprising about a third of the population. Since 2009, a center for Ethiopian immigrants has been operational in the area.

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Like its neighboring districts Givat Massuah and Ir Ganim, Kiryat Menachem contains archaeological sites, including burial mounds from the 8th century BCE Iron Age II period, excavated by archaeologist Ruth Amiran.

In 1953, Amiran conducted surveys of several mounds, fully excavating one located near Kiryat Menachem. This particular mound concealed a retaining ring wall that was intersected by a staircase. The steps led to a platform containing evidence of burnt materials and animal bones. The pottery discovered at the site was identified as characteristic of the Kingdom of Judah in the late 8th and 7th centuries BCE.

Amiran interpreted these mounds as biblical bamot – elevated sites on hilltops used for local worship. She suggested that such sites were likely destroyed during the stringent religious reforms carried out by kings Hezekiah and Josiah.

Future plans

Earlier this year, the Jerusalem Municipality, through its local planning and building committee, advanced four urban renewal plans for Kiryat Menachem, approving them for deposit with the district committee on February 11. These plans will bring the construction of 1,709 housing units, including two 41-story towers.

The project also incorporates public-use spaces, pedestrian crossings with mechanical assistance, and a commercial area. Detailed information on the approved plans is available.

This large-scale renewal initiative focuses on the Nurit Street area in Kiryat Menachem. A prior plan, submitted by the municipality and approved by the national council several years ago, aimed to renew the broader Nurit-Costa Rica streets complex. That plan initially designated 1,000 housing units on complementary land, but following the cancellation of this land, developers were tasked with submitting new proposals.

Each of the four complexes has now presented updated plans by private developers to incorporate additional housing units, replacing the original allocation for the complementary land. This approach ensures that the urban renewal project can move forward efficiently.

Institutions

The neighborhood is home to the Henrietta Szold Institute-The National Institute for Research in the Behavioral Sciences; the Guatemala School; Tal Haim School; and the Reshit school established by the urban kibbutz in 2001. Most of its students are neighborhood residents.

It also hosts the Rechasim Scouts troop, Aharai! to the IDF, and Aharai! in the Field youth groups, an Ezra youth movement branch, and two separate branches (for boys and girls) of the Ariel youth movement. In 2018, Lockheed Martin funded the establishment of three preschools in the neighborhood.

Numerous synagogues are located in Kiryat Menachem, including Zachor LeAvraham, the neighborhood’s largest synagogue; the Central synagogue on Nurit Street; Rabbi David and Moshe synagogue; Ohel Malka; Shirat Ganim (serving primarily the National Religious community); and Young Ir Ganim Congregation.

In 2023, the Bnei Akiva graduate movement established a student village in partnership with Horev institutions in the neighborhood.

The neighborhood’s difficult state in the late 1970s led to the establishment of the urban Kibbutz Reshit in its heart, aiming to improve and develop Kiryat Menachem. Formed by former kibbutz and moshav members initially based in the Bukharim neighborhood, Rashit relocated to Kiryat Menachem in 1991 during a period of significant decline.

Drug dealers had influenced the youth, violent crime was rampant, and despair permeated the area. The kibbutz initiated extensive cleaning campaigns, removing large amounts of waste. Collaborating with residents, they planted lawns, rose gardens, and more, fostering a sense of renewal.

The kibbutz later established kindergartens promoting integration. In 2000, the Reshit school opened as a natural extension of these kindergartens. Kibbutz members, who have lived in the neighborhood for many years, operate numerous educational and environmental initiatives to advance residents and empower them to improve their circumstances without relying on charity or welfare services.

Reshit also runs a youth movement for all neighborhood children and organizes summer camps.