Rare Footage of Jerusalem in 1918

Rare and unique film of everyday life in Jerusalem, circa 1918. Footage includes the Old City, Western Wall, Jaffa street, the market, Shaar Shchem. It also includes other Jewish holy places such as Kever Dovid, Kever Rochel, Yad Avshalom and others. The music was later added to the silent film.

The was found at the home of a Jewish family in Amsterdam and it is unclear if the father collected the clips, or shot them himself in order to encourage Jewish tourism to Jerusalem after the British occupation. Some of the pictures were taken at the end of the era of the Ottoman Empire in 1917.

In the video you can see the new stores on Rechov Yaffa of Shlomo Cohen & sons and A.Y. Ladarebarag. The film was obtained by Meir Barak, edited by Yaakov Gross author of book Jerusalem 5678/1918. Those interested in purchasing a copy can contact P.O. Box 909 Givatayim 53 108.


At the 1:30 mark you can see Men and Women Davening at the Kosel without a Mechitzah. That was because the Turks did not allow any benches, chairs, Mechitza screens or any form of construction at the site. This was also enforced later during parts of the British rule as a political status quo agreement.

On Yom Kipur in September of 1928, British police forcefully removed the Mechitza. Women who tried to prevent the screen being dismantled were beaten by the police, who used pieces of the broken wooden frame as clubs. Chairs were then pulled out from under elderly worshipers. The episode made international news and Jews the world over objected to the British action. The Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem issued a letter on behalf of the Edah HaChareidis and Agudas Yisroel strongly condemning the desecration of the holy site. Various communal leaders called for a general strike. A large rally was held in the Eitz Chaim Yeshiva, following which an angry crowd attacked the local police station in which they believed the British officer involved in the fiasco was sheltering.

Commissioner Edward Keith-Roach described the screen as violating the Ottoman status quo that forbade Jews from making any construction in the Western Wall area. He informed the Jewish community that the removal had been carried out under his orders after receiving a complaint from the Supreme Muslim Council. The Arabs were concerned that the Jews were trying to extend their rights at the wall and with this move, ultimately intended to take possession of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The British government issued an announcement explaining the incident and blaming the Jewish Gabbai at the Wall. It stressed that the removal of the screen was necessary, but expressed regret over the ensuing events.