Life and Death of a Jewish Courtyard in Jerusalem's Old City

Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta)

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Life and Death of a Jewish Courtyard in Jerusalem's Old City Posted: 23 Apr 2015 A scene in a Jerusalem courtyard in the Jewish Quarter, April 1917 (Imperial War Museum Q 86316) The picture of this Jerusalem courtyard in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City was taken by a German army photographer during World War I and was found in the British Imperial War Museum.  Jerusalem at the time was ruled by the Ottomans.  The distinctive arches on the building on the right identify it as the Rothschild Building, part of the Batei Machaseh compound built for Jewish residents of the Jewish Quarter.  It was donated by Baron Wilhelm Karl de Rothschild of Frankfurt.  The building still bears the Rothschild family's coat of arms. The compound was built between 1860 and 1890 to provide housing for Jerusalem's poor. The Rothschild Building appears in a series of dramatic Life Magazine photographs taken by John Phillips during the Jordanian capture of the Old City during the 1948 war. The arches can be seen on the left side of these pictures; the picture above was a reverse view of the ones below.  The first was taken in the midst of the fighting in June 1948, and the Jews are seen gathering their belongings for their evacuation.  The second picture, taken in July 1948, shows the looting that took place.  The pictures appear in the DaledAmos blog. Jewish Quarter courtyard prior to evacuation (Life Magazine, John Phillips) Jewish Quarter after the evacuation and looting (Life Magazine, John Phillips) Phillips' last picture shows the Jews' evacuation from the Old City under the guard of Jordanian Legionnaires.  The Rothschild Building serves as the backdrop to the tragic picture. Jewish refugees heading to the Zion Gate near the Rothschild Building

Where Did the German Army March in Jerusalem on Good Friday, 1917? Help Find these Locations

Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta)

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Where Did the German Army March in Jerusalem on Good Friday, 1917? Help Find these Locations Posted: 30 Mar 2015     Good Friday, April 6, 1917 was also Passover Eve. The Jews of Jerusalem were destitute.  Money from foreign Jewish communities had been cut off because of the war.  Breadwinners were absent, many forcibly conscripted into the Turkish army or hiding from the army.  But Jewish families did their best to prepare for the Passover holiday. A parade of soldiers and a military band from the German army marching down the middle of Jerusalem broke the routine and brought Jerusalemites into the street, especially the young boys.  These soldiers were on their way to church services in the Old City on their holy day before Easter.  German fife, drum and horns lead the soldiers to Good Friday prayers. Note the onlookers. Where was the picture taken in Jerusalem? (UK Imperial War Museum) The Germans were allies of the Turkish rulers of the land. They served as advisors, commanders, and pilots in the war against the British and their allies. These photos were taken by an "official German photographer" and were found in the archives of the British Imperial War Museum. Where was the picture taken in Jerusalem?  Note the onlookers and the children, probably Jewish because of their caps. (UK Imperial War Museum) We invite our readers to study the photographs recently digitized by the Ottoman Imperial Archives.  Exactly where did they take place?  Photograph the modern-day location and send it to israel.dailypix@gmail.com.