Kiryat Moshe is a charming tree-lined community located in western Jerusalem between the central bus station to the east and Givat Shaul to the west.
The neighborhood is named for the British philanthropist Sir Moses Montefiore, whose charitable fund provided a loan to establish the community in 1923. Kiryat Moshe is actually the last of six Jerusalem neighborhoods that were established by Montefiore’s fund, and was called “New Montefiore” to distinguish it from the neighborhood Yemin Moshe, which was founded in 1892 and aptly dubbed “Old Montefiore.”
The founders of Kiryat Moshe were dati leumi (national religious), many of whom were rabbis and leaders of the Mizrachi movement. Almost 100 years later, Kiryat Moshe is an accepting and diverse community comprised of dati leumi, charedi leumi (national ultra-orthodox, also known by the acronym “chardal”), charedi and secular families. Its residents are primarily native Israelis, plus there are many French and American olim.
Kiryat Moshe is home to several prominent educational institutions, including Yeshivat Mercaz Harav Kook, which was established in 1924 by the founding father of the Israel Chief Rabbinate, Harav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook. Between the yeshiva and its kollel, the institution has over 700 students. Another famous yeshiva is Machon Meir, which for the past forty years has been the address for Jews of all backgrounds to learn about their Jewish roots. The yeshiva has over 500 students, and offers classes in Hebrew, English, Russian, French, and Spanish.
A legendary community landmark was Angel Bakery, situated on the border of Kiryat Moshe and Givat Shaul. Situated on approximately 3.5 acres, close to the light rail line and the new entrance into Jerusalem, the property was purchased in 2021 with the plan to develop a mixed-use project comprising residential, retail, hotel and office usage. I am excited to see the final plans for this unique project, which has been named "Ir Olam."
Here’s a twist to the classic stories of people receiving blessings from the rebbe before major life events: Over the years, many people considering buying an apartment in Kiryat Moshe would approach Israel’s former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu zt”l - who lived in Kiryat Moshe - for guidance and a blessing. However, Rav Eliyahu would always direct potential purchasers to his astute wife, who was attuned to the neighborhood’s housing market and better qualified to offer real estate advice. A number of years ago, my partner Eliezer uncovered a great buying opportunity in Kiryat Moshe for his clients. He fondly recalled that the family would not sign the contract to purchase the apartment until the Rabbanit gave her approval and blessings - which she readily did, once she heard the details of the transaction.
Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home, a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com.