Gonen
Encyclopedia
Katamon is a neighbourhood in south-central Jerusalem, Israel
. The official Hebrew name, Gonen , is only used in municipal publications. Katamon is derived from the Greek kata tōi monastēriōi ("below the monastery").
. German aerial photographs taken during the war show a grid of building lots demarcated by stones. By 1914, a total of 5 homes had been built. From 1924, building activity resumed, mostly by affluent Christian Arabs, who built large mansions there.
At the beginning of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
the neighborhood was an Arab salient between two Jewish neighborhoods. On the night of 5–6 January 1948, the Haganah
bombed the Semiramis Hotel in Katamon, killing 24 or 26 people. On April 28, as part of Operation Yevusi
, during a bloody battle over control of the Greek Orthodox St. Simon monastery, located on a strategic hilltop, Rafael Eitan
, then a platoon commander, was shot in the head. Many others were killed and wounded on both sides. After the surrender of the Jewish Quarter at the end of May, around 1000 Jewish refugees were moved into Katamon. A gutted Jordanian Legion tank was left as a monument at St. Simon park, but was removed in the late 1990s.
In her autobiography, Palestinian
author Ghada Karmi
describes growing up in Katamon, from which she and her father, linguist Hasan Karmi
, and the rest of the family, fled in 1948 after fierce fighting broke out. Arab
scholar and poet Khalil al-Sakakini
and writer Sami Hadawi
also left Katamon at this time. Al-Sakakini's daughter Hala wrote about revisiting the neighborhood in 1967.
On September 17, 1948, UN Mediator Folke Bernadotte
and UN Observer André Serot, were assassinated by members of the Jewish underground while driving on Palmach
Street in Katamon.
in the northeast, and the German Colony and Greek Colony
to the southeast. The neighbourhood is bounded on its south side by Rachel Imenu street and Hizkiyahu Ha'Melech street (separating it from the Greek Colony), and on its east side by Kovshey Katamon street (separating it from Talbiya). These streets connect to Emek Refaim
and Rehov ha-Palmach, respectively.
, on a hilltop to the north. The monastery is now surrounded by a large park in the neighborhood known as Givat Oranim
.
The neighbourhood was home to the Hapoel Jerusalem football club from the 1930s until it moved back to the YMCA Stadium
in the 1980s. In 2007, several dissatisfied Hapoel Jerusalem fans formed a new club, naming it Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem after the club's former home, although the new club does not play in the neighborhood.
Katamon was the home of several foreign consulates, among them the Greek consulate, the Italian consulate, and the Costa-Rican consulate. The old Hapoel stadium was purchased by developers and is now the site of the upscale Ganei Katamon neighborhood, ringing Ofira Navon
park.
The Misgav Ladach
hospital on the southern edge of the neighbourhood specialized in maternity care, but is now a Kupat Holim Meuhedet
diagnostic center. The L. A. Mayer Institute for Islamic Art
is also located on Palmach Street in Katamon. Katamon also houses the core community of Erloi
Hassidism
, as well its yeshiva, Ohel Shimon. The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem
has been based in Katamon since 1997.
.
Katamon Khet was built at the end of the 1950s, and Katamon Tet in the mid-1960s. The Katamonim are characterized by long apartment blocks on pillars, providing low-cost housing. Some of the buildings are still government-owned, although the Amidar
housing company sold many of the apartments to the residents in the 1970s.
Prior to the Six-Day War
in June 1967, the Katamonim were on the Jordanian-Israeli armistice
line. Massive infrastructure improvement was financed by an urban renewal
project known as "Project Renewal" over a period of two decades. Many small apartments were combined into larger ones and the outward appearance of the apartment blocks was improved. Since the 1990s, many Russian and Ethiopian immigrants have been given housing here.
The Jerusalem Tennis Center, founded in 1981 and dedicated in 1982 by the Jewish community of South Africa in memory of Yossi Zeituni, a tennis coach who fell in the Lebanon War
, is located in the Katamonim. The center has 19 courts and a stadium with seating for 2,000 spectators.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. The official Hebrew name, Gonen , is only used in municipal publications. Katamon is derived from the Greek kata tōi monastēriōi ("below the monastery").
History
Katamon was established just before World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. German aerial photographs taken during the war show a grid of building lots demarcated by stones. By 1914, a total of 5 homes had been built. From 1924, building activity resumed, mostly by affluent Christian Arabs, who built large mansions there.
At the beginning of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
the neighborhood was an Arab salient between two Jewish neighborhoods. On the night of 5–6 January 1948, the Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
bombed the Semiramis Hotel in Katamon, killing 24 or 26 people. On April 28, as part of Operation Yevusi
Operation Yevusi
Operation Yevusi was a Palmach military operation carried out during the 1948 Arab Israeli War to assert Jewish control over Jerusalem. The operation, commanded by Yitzhak Sadeh, lasted two weeks, from 22 April 1948 to 3 May 1948. Not all objectives were achieved before the British enforced a...
, during a bloody battle over control of the Greek Orthodox St. Simon monastery, located on a strategic hilltop, Rafael Eitan
Rafael Eitan
Rafael "Raful" Eitan was an Israeli general, former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces and later a politician, a Knesset member government minister...
, then a platoon commander, was shot in the head. Many others were killed and wounded on both sides. After the surrender of the Jewish Quarter at the end of May, around 1000 Jewish refugees were moved into Katamon. A gutted Jordanian Legion tank was left as a monument at St. Simon park, but was removed in the late 1990s.
In her autobiography, Palestinian
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
author Ghada Karmi
Ghada Karmi
Ghada Karmi is a Palestinian doctor of medicine, author and academic. She writes frequently on Palestinian issues in newspapers and magazines, including The Guardian, The Nation and Journal of Palestine Studies...
describes growing up in Katamon, from which she and her father, linguist Hasan Karmi
Hasan Karmi
Hasan Sa'id Karmi was a distinguished Palestinian linguist, broadcaster, and scholar.Hasan Karmi was born in Tulkarem, Palestine. The son of an eminent shari'a court judge, Sheikh Sa'id al-Karmi, Karmi studied in a local Qur'anic school and later attended English College in Jerusalem...
, and the rest of the family, fled in 1948 after fierce fighting broke out. Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
scholar and poet Khalil al-Sakakini
Khalil al-Sakakini
Khalil al-Sakakini was a Palestinian Christian, Arab Orthodox, educator, scholar, poet, and Arab nationalist.-Early life:Khalil Sakakini was born into an Arab Christian family in Jerusalem on January 23, 1878...
and writer Sami Hadawi
Sami Hadawi
Sami Hadawi was a Palestinian scholar and author. He is known for documenting the effects of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War on the Arab population in Palestine and published statistics for individual villages prior to Israel's establishment. Hadawi worked as a land specialist until he was exiled from...
also left Katamon at this time. Al-Sakakini's daughter Hala wrote about revisiting the neighborhood in 1967.
On September 17, 1948, UN Mediator Folke Bernadotte
Folke Bernadotte
Folke Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg was a Swedish diplomat and nobleman noted for his negotiation of the release of about 31,000 prisoners from German concentration camps during World War II, including 450 Danish Jews from Theresienstadt released on 14 April 1945...
and UN Observer André Serot, were assassinated by members of the Jewish underground while driving on Palmach
Palmach
The Palmach was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Yishuv during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine. The Palmach was established on May 15, 1941...
Street in Katamon.
Geography
Katamon is bounded by the neighborhoods of TalbiyaTalbiya
Talbiya or Talbiyeh , officially Komemiyut, is an upscale neighborhood in Jerusalem, Israel, located between Rehavia and Katamon. It was built in the 1920s and 1930s on land purchased from the Greek Patriarchate...
in the northeast, and the German Colony and Greek Colony
Greek Colony, Jerusalem
The Greek Colony is a neighborhood in Jerusalem, Israel, bordering the German Colony and Katamon.-History:The lands of the Greek Colony were purchased by wealthy members of the Greek Orthodox community in the early 20th century...
to the southeast. The neighbourhood is bounded on its south side by Rachel Imenu street and Hizkiyahu Ha'Melech street (separating it from the Greek Colony), and on its east side by Kovshey Katamon street (separating it from Talbiya). These streets connect to Emek Refaim
Emek Refaim
Emek Refaim is the main street of the German Colony, a neighborhood in Jerusalem, Israel. It takes its name from the biblical Valley of Rephaim which began its descent from Jerusalem here.-Etymology:...
and Rehov ha-Palmach, respectively.
Landmarks
A major site in Katamon was the St. Simon monasteryMonastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, on a hilltop to the north. The monastery is now surrounded by a large park in the neighborhood known as Givat Oranim
Givat Oranim
Givat Oranim is a neighborhood in southwestern Jerusalem, Israel, bordered by Katamon, Rassco, San Simon and Kiryat Shmuel.Givat Oranim was established after 1948. The area played an important part in the battle for the San Simon monastery during Israel's War of Independence. It is populated by a...
.
The neighbourhood was home to the Hapoel Jerusalem football club from the 1930s until it moved back to the YMCA Stadium
YMCA Stadium
The cornerstone for the Jerusalem YMCA was laid in 1928 by Lord Plumer, the British High Commissioner for Palestine, on a plot of land in the West Nikephoria section of Jerusalem purchased from the Greek Orthodox Church Patriarchate. When the building opened on April 18, 1933, the event was...
in the 1980s. In 2007, several dissatisfied Hapoel Jerusalem fans formed a new club, naming it Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem after the club's former home, although the new club does not play in the neighborhood.
Katamon was the home of several foreign consulates, among them the Greek consulate, the Italian consulate, and the Costa-Rican consulate. The old Hapoel stadium was purchased by developers and is now the site of the upscale Ganei Katamon neighborhood, ringing Ofira Navon
Ofira Navon
Ofira Navon was the wife of Yitzhak Navon, the fifth President of Israel.-Biography:Ofira Navon was born in Tel Aviv, to Batya and Eliezer Resnikov, Prisoners of Zion from Russia. She earned an MA in education and psychology, and had professional certification in rehabilitation psychology from...
park.
The Misgav Ladach
Misgav Ladach
Misgav Ladach is a hospital in Jerusalem, Israel that belongs to Kupat Holim Meuhedet, Israel's third largest HMO.-Etymology:The name of the hospital, literally "refuge for the suffering," derives from Psalms 9:10.-History:...
hospital on the southern edge of the neighbourhood specialized in maternity care, but is now a Kupat Holim Meuhedet
Kupat Holim Meuhedet
Kupat Holim Meuhedet , is Israel's third largest health maintenance organization . The organization was founded in 1974 as the result of a merger of two other HMOs....
diagnostic center. The L. A. Mayer Institute for Islamic Art
L. A. Mayer Institute for Islamic Art
The L.A. Mayer Institute for Islamic Art is a museum in Jerusalem, Israel, established in 1974. It is located in Katamon, down the road from the Jerusalem Theater...
is also located on Palmach Street in Katamon. Katamon also houses the core community of Erloi
Yochanan Sofer
Rabbi Yochanan Sofer is the Rebbe of the Erlau Hasidic dynasty, a small-sized movement in Orthodox Judaism. He was born in Erlau , Hungary, where his father and grandfather served as Grand Rabbis...
Hassidism
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
, as well its yeshiva, Ohel Shimon. The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem
International Christian Embassy Jerusalem
The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem is a Christian Zionist organisation based in Jerusalem, Israel.-History:The International Christian Embassy was founded in 1980 by evangelical Christians to express their support for the State of Israel and the Jewish people...
has been based in Katamon since 1997.
Katamonim
To the west, Old Katamon branches out into several neighbourhoods collectively called the "Katamonim" (officially "Gonenim," lit. "Defenders"), built in the early years of the state to accommodate the large wave of new immigrants, previously living in tent camps. These neighborhoods were assigned Hebrew numerals : Katamon Khet ("Katamon 8"), Katamon Tet ("Katamon 9), etc. Some of those neighborhoods have a second name. Katamon Hei (5) is also called San Simon Neighborhood, a part of Katamon Het (8) and Katamon tet (9) is sometimes called San Martin Neighborhood, and Katamon zayn (7) is Pat neighborhoodPat (Jerusalem)
Pat is a neighborhood in southwestern Jerusalem, Israel, located between Katamon and Beit Safafa.-History:The Pat neighborhood is named for Yaacov Pat, a commander of the Haganah....
.
Katamon Khet was built at the end of the 1950s, and Katamon Tet in the mid-1960s. The Katamonim are characterized by long apartment blocks on pillars, providing low-cost housing. Some of the buildings are still government-owned, although the Amidar
Amidar (Company)
Amidar is a state-owned housing company in Israel.The company was founded in 1949. Its mission statement is "to be involved in construction projects, development, population and maintenance in Israel"...
housing company sold many of the apartments to the residents in the 1970s.
Prior to the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
in June 1967, the Katamonim were on the Jordanian-Israeli armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
line. Massive infrastructure improvement was financed by an urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
project known as "Project Renewal" over a period of two decades. Many small apartments were combined into larger ones and the outward appearance of the apartment blocks was improved. Since the 1990s, many Russian and Ethiopian immigrants have been given housing here.
The Jerusalem Tennis Center, founded in 1981 and dedicated in 1982 by the Jewish community of South Africa in memory of Yossi Zeituni, a tennis coach who fell in the Lebanon War
Lebanon War
The term Lebanon War can refer to any of the following wars, fought in Lebanon:*Lebanese Civil War *Hundred Days' War 1978 *1982 Lebanon War...
, is located in the Katamonim. The center has 19 courts and a stadium with seating for 2,000 spectators.