Me'a She'arim is synonymous with ultra orthodoxy. This neighborhood is a window into a way of life that was practiced in Eastern Europe several centuries ago. Its religious inhabitants focus their lives on Talmudic learning. Such devotion to religion and learning brings with it a desire for segregation from less observant people and the changing ideas of modernism. Consequently, though it is only a stone's throw from Rechov Yaffo, Me'a She'arim is in another sense both miles and years away.

Constructed in 1874, Me'a She'arim was one of the first neighborhoods to be built outside the Old City walls. Me'a She'arim was originally designed by Conrad Schick, a European Christian architect and ex-missionary.

The neighborhood was the organized effort of several dozen families who pooled resources towards a common goal. Their hopes were articulated in the name they chose for the area, taken from Genesis 26:12 "And Isaac sowed in that land and found in the same a hundredfold..." (Heb. me'a she'arim).

Today Me'a She'arim is home to many members of Jerusalem's ultra-orthodox community. The community is not actually one heterogeneous group, but the groups all share a number of characteristics. Notably the residents of this neighborhood follow a strict dress code and expect certain standards from anyone who passes through their quarter.

The code of dress is as follows: women should wear skirts which cover the knees and do not reveal shoulders or arms; men should wear long pants and are advised to cover their heads.

With regard to behavior, loudness is scorned upon. If one needs directions or information, it is recommended that you ask someone of the same sex. Furthermore, the residents of Me'a She'arim do not appreciate their picture being taken, or being videoed. On Shabbat, the Sabbath, it is forbidden to drive in Me'a She'arim.

Adhering to these requests is important so as not to find oneself in a confrontational situation and in order to be able to enjoy the atmosphere of the neighborhood. Should one be found to have upset the residents, expect a great deal of shouting. At this point, an about-turn and hurried departure from the tempestuous scene will not be regretted.

We begin our tour of Me'a She'arim at the corner of HaNevi'im and Shivtei Yisra'el Streets. Heading north on Shivtei Yisra'el we turn left onto Me'a She'arim Street from which various ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods and courtyards can be reached. Although this is a main street, the roads in this neighborhood are so narrow that you will occasionally find yourself pressed against the buildings by passing traffic.

The first courtyard branches off to the right at the place where a modern white building, the Toldot Aharon Yeshiva, joins the street. The students of the Toldot Aharon Yeshiva wear black and white striped robes and large white yarmulkes which can be seen edging from under the back of the students' black hats.

Turning off the main street and immediately left into Salanter St at the massive yeshiva of Chasidei Breslov, we pass on the right through a cement gate, the Jerusalem gate. Note the embedded iron bar - a remnant of the original Me'a She'arim gate.

Turn right and follow the street to the market and the row of houses at the northern side of the Me'a She'arim rectangle. Above the vegetable stands is a large multi-lingual sign laying out this neighborhood's dress requirements.

After continuing for a short while, we turn left into the heart of historic Me'a She'arim. We are now facing an unusual two story building, known as Beit Avraham (Abraham's House). This originally housed several institutions including the Great Yeshiva of Me'a She'arim, a Talmud Torah (religious school for young boys) and a free soup kitchen for the poor.

The neighborhood's largest house of prayer occupies the front end of the upper story and is decorated with interesting ceiling frescoes depicting the Zodiac and the twelve tribes of Israel. Opposite Beit Avraham are a group of buildings known as shtieblach (little synagogues).

To the left of the entrance to the Great Yeshiva is the Hachnasat Orchim (House of Hospitality), a special hostel for Jewish wayfarers which provides free or nominal fee accommodation for up to one month.

To the right of the aforementioned entrance is the mikve, a bathing house for ritual purification. A woman will bathe here before she is married. Married women bathe themselves here after menstruation and childbirth. Religious men may also immerse themselves at certain times.

Turning right, we return to the market street and the commercial center of Me'a She'arim. We find ourselves standing over a giant subterranean water cistern which, though plugged up, still protrudes above the ground. This is one of Jerusalem's largest cisterns, and served the city during the siege of the 1948 War of Independence.

Turning back through the market, we exit to the left via the passage to Me'a She'arim Street. This passage was once known as Muhammad's Gate, after the Arab watchman who lived in a room next to it. Take a look at the shop opposite the gate which has a selection of copperware featuring distinctive Jewish religious themes and stop at the bakery to the left of the Me'a She'arim entrance.

Turning left from the gate, then right and downhill at the staircase leading to a triangular courtyard to the left, you are approaching a courtyard known as Batei Ungarim (The Hungarian Houses).

Batei Ungarim is a triangular courtyard surrounded by long apartment buildings and paved with flagstones. The courtyard was built during the 1880s and 1890s by an organization in the Hungarian Jewish community known as a kollel. A kollel is a Yeshiva which distributes funds among learning community members. Any sensation of having been removed from the 20th century may be compounded by a feeling of being disorientated created by an absence of street names.

Within Batei Ungarim you may see the Talmud Torah, a school for young boys. A metal fence on the upper floor of the building marks this building. To the right of Batei Ungarim are three long parallel buildings, the homes of Reb. Arelakh's Hassidim. To return to Me'a She'arim Street from here, turn right and right again. You should face the direction from which you came. A left, another left and then a right leads into a passage through the center of the building facing us.

This is Batei Neitin, four rows of apartments connected by a rather unusual covered passageway, and the exit to Me'a She'arim Street.

Continue up Me'a She'arim Street, the main thoroughfare and commercial center of the neighborhood. Turn right and take the time to browse in the religious bookstores and gift shops. Good buys in Me'a She'arim include copies of the Mishna and Talmud, silver Sabbath candlesticks, a necklace with one's name in Hebrew, and Hasidic Jewish music.

It is also worth visiting at least one of Me'a She'arim's two olive wood factories (one on the left and one on the right, both about midway down the street). Here religious objects are carved and the resident artists are ready to paint whatever personal message is requested. Directions for returning to Rechov HaNevi'im might not be a bad idea.

The Jewish Quarter Rehavia Yemin Moshe Mount Scopus