Even Yisrael (neighborhood)

Even Yisrael (Hebrew: אבן ישראל‎, Stone of Israel) is a former courtyard neighborhood in Jerusalem, Israel. Built in 1875, it was the sixth Jewish neighborhood to be established outside the Old City walls. It is now part of the Nachlaot neighborhood. In 2004 the neighborhood underwent preservation and renovation by the Jerusalem Municipality, which re-paved and re-landscaped the central courtyard and added a small stone amphitheater for tour groups and daytime passersby.

The neighborhood received its name from the 53 members of the building society (in Hebrew, the word even [stone] has the numerical value of 53). The name also reflects the biblical verse:

This verse is part of the blessing given by Jacob to his son Joseph; Joseph was also the name of Yosef Rivlin, one of the founders of the neighborhood.

Even Yisrael is bounded by Jaffa Road to the north, Even Yisrael Street to the east, Agrippas Street to the south, and Baruchoff Street to the west. A second courtyard was built to the east of the residential courtyard to accommodate shops and workshops; this courtyard abuts the present-day Even Yisrael Street.

Built in 1875, the Even Yisrael neighborhood was the sixth Jewish neighborhood to be established outside the Old City walls. It was constructed by the same company that built the nearby Mishkenot Yisrael neighborhood the same year. The land was purchased from the Arabs of Lifta.

The neighborhood had a typical open court construction, with row houses surrounding the central courtyard on all four sides of a rectangle. This building plan was intended to increase security and defensiveness. Arched gateways were installed on the north and south. Over time, additional gateways were opened to the east and west, reaching a total of six.

...
Wikipedia