Kiryat Moshe: Jerusalem’s sought-after hub of learning

Between the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem’s entrance and city center, and the more industrial settings of Givat Shaul, sits the neighborhood of Kiryat Moshe. Picture a place where the laughter of children echoes through leafy streets, and the air hums with the scholarly debates of yeshiva students. This is Kiryat Moshe, a neighborhood steeped in learning and brimming with life.

From its inception as a tranquil garden suburb, Kiryat Moshe has transformed into a vibrant urban enclave, home to some of Jerusalem’s most prestigious educational institutions. This evolution is a testament to its resilient spirit and the enduring vision of its founders

Originally planned as an independent garden neighborhood, Kiryat Moshe’s character evolved as small surrounding neighborhoods merged into it and the city continued to expand. The neighborhood’s annexation to Jerusalem gave it an urban character, and over the years many central educational institutions were built in the neighborhood, such as the School for the Blind, and Mercaz Harav Yeshiva, which led to the establishment of Machon Meir, Ora Institute, Jerusalem High School Yeshiva, and Morasha. 

As a result, the number of religious residents increased, making it a central hub for the National Religious community. Despite its prominence among the religious community, many secular, traditional, and ultra-Orthodox families reside there, creating a mix of old Jerusalemites, young families, and many children and teenagers.

Due to its central location, Kiryat Moshe has become a sought-after neighborhood in Jerusalem for urban renewal and development projects.

Establishment of the neighborhood

Kiryat Moshe was established between 1925 and 1927 by traditional individuals who wanted to live near their religious parents in Jerusalem. The establishment was assisted by the Moshe Montefiore Memorial Fund, a charity named after Sir Moses Montefiore, which previously helped establish the neighborhoods of Yemin Moshe, Mazkeret Moshe, Ohel Moshe, and Zichron Moshe. 

Kiryat Moshe was the last neighborhood built with the fund’s assistance, and it was sometimes referred to as New Montefiore. The neighborhood’s name, as shown on maps from its inception until the mid-20th century, was Montefiore Neighborhood.

In 1924, the fund’s representative in Palestine, Prof. David Yellin, purchased the neighborhood’s land – 11 hectares – for 100 Palestinian pounds. The neighborhood’s regulations reflect the traditional character its founders sought to establish:

In 1936, members of the Mizrachi Workers’ Movement (Religious Zionism) established the Mizrachi Workers’ Neighborhood near Kiryat Moshe, later renamed Maimon Neighborhood after Rabbi Yehuda Leib Fishman Maimon, a leader of Religious Zionism and one of the neighborhood’s founders. Today, Maimon Neighborhood is integrated into Kiryat Moshe, and the two are indistinguishable. The merger influenced the neighborhood’s current National Religious character.

By 1939, Kiryat Moshe housed 79 families, each with its own stone house. In 1941, residents petitioned the mayor of Jerusalem to annex the neighborhood to the city, citing its cleanliness and hygiene. They wrote to the mayor: “With the increase in the number of residents in the neighborhood – many of whom are not members – we concluded that the nature of a mutual association no longer suits the neighborhood’s needs. 

“It is clear to us that it would be more appropriate for it to have the character of a council or be annexed to the municipality. Since our neighborhood is very close to the current western border of the municipality and no neighborhoods separate it, we believe it makes sense and is necessary to annex it to the municipality.”

Post-statehood developments

During the 1948 War of Independence, several shells landed in the neighborhood. The identity of the bombers is disputed. Some say they were Egyptians, while others believe they were Israeli forces aiming for Deir Yassin (now Givat Shaul) and missed their target.

The neighborhood was annexed to Jerusalem after the establishment of the state. In April 1953, infiltrators broke into a house in the neighborhood (now 17 Hameiri Street; the original building was later demolished) and murdered two residents.

From the 1950s onward, the neighborhood’s original character began to change. By the late 1930s, Hamakashar Neighborhood was established nearby, housing members of the Jerusalem transportation cooperative. In the early 1950s, Kiryat Moshe Housing was built (formally known as Maonot Ovdim in Kiryat Moshe Cooperative Housing Association, Ltd.), the first housing project for Jerusalemites, which included young couples and first-time home buyers. 

Notable residents included minister of education and culture Prof. Ben-Zion Dinur; Rehavia Gymnasium principal Zevulun Tochman; poet Yitzhak Shalev (and his son, noted author Meir Shalev); and Dr. Shalom Levin, who later served as secretary of the teachers’ union and Knesset member. 

Geographer Prof. Menashe Harel, a Palmachnik and Israel Prize laureate for Israel Studies, lived at the end of Shoshana Polyakov Street. Geographer Avraham Jacob Brawer and later his son, atlas editor Moshe Brawer, lived on Eliezer Halevi Street near Kiryat Moshe Street. 

Gradually, multi-story residential buildings in old Kiryat Moshe replaced single-story houses. In 1957, several streets in the neighborhood were named. The main street was named Kiryat Moshe Street, and the perpendicular avenue was named Hameiri Avenue after Rabbi Moshe Hameiri.

In 1964, the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva moved to the neighborhood, later leading to the establishment of Meir Institute there. This increased the number of religious residents, making the neighborhood a central hub for the National Religious community. 

Kiryat Moshe’s population is around 11,000 people, of whom almost half were under 18 at the last count (4,242). Just over 1,000 residents were over the age of 65, making Kiryat Moshe a more energetic neighborhood than some of its neighbors. 

Developments in the 2000s

In 2008, the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva terror attack occurred in the neighborhood, resulting in the deaths of eight yeshiva students.

On March 6, 2008, a lone Palestinian gunman shot several students at the yeshiva. Eight students and the terrorist were killed in the attack, and 11 more people were wounded.

In 2011, the Red Line of the Jerusalem Light Rail, running along the neighborhood’s eastern border, was inaugurated, improving accessibility from the new city’s center to the neighborhood. As a result, real estate values increased. The neighborhood is considered central due to its location at the city’s entrance and proximity to Givat Ram, the International Convention Center, and the central bus station.

In November 2017, a building permit was granted for an urban renewal project in the neighborhood, in the Hamakashar Compound, located between Herzl Boulevard and Kiryat Moshe and Haim Piek streets. 

The project, promoted by the municipality and the Urban Renewal Authority in the Moriah Company, includes two 25-story towers with 230 housing units, replacing six existing buildings that have since been demolished. ■

Est. Population: 11,000

Avg. Real Estate: 

House (buy): NIS 4.5 million

Apt. (rent): NIS 5,600/mo.