Founded in the 1860s, this neighbourhood south of the Mahane Yehuda Market is a warren of narrow alleys where a number of old synagogues and yeshivas (Jewish religious seminaries) are hidden, many set in large stone-walled compounds. The most interesting street is HaGilboa, where you’ll find a number of historic homes; each contains a plaque that describes the family that built the home. One street over, on HaCarmel, look for the attractive synagogue Hased veRahamim, with its unmistakable silver doors.
Among the dozens of synagogues, one of the better known is the Ades Synagogue , built by Jews from Aleppo (Haleb), Syria, in 1901. The synagogue was named for Ovadia and Yosef Ades, the Syrian-Jewish brothers who financed the project. It quickly became a centre for Syrian hazzanut (Jewish liturgical singing) and saw the training of many a Jerusalem cantor. Inside, you’ll find a classically Middle Eastern–styled interior with a walnut ark that was carried here from Aleppo by donkey cart. Today it maintains the rare tradition of bakashot , a set cycle of Kabbalistic poetry sung in the early hours of Shabbat during the winter months. Unfortunately, the synagogue isn't open very often.
