Streets of Israel: Ben Yehuda, Jerusalem
Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall in central Jerusalem is one of those Israel destinations that won’t blow you away with its beauty or antiquity, but is one of those tourist attractions where you’ll probably end up window shopping and coffee guzzling. And where you’ll start wondering if anybody speaks Hebrew in the neighbourhood…
Ben Yehuda street is named after Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, who helped revive the Hebrew language in the late 19th century. And despite its grand origins, the street is widely known simply as one of Jerusalem’s finest shopping areas, what with its very central location alongside King George Street and Jaffa Road, and not too far a walk from perhaps the ultimate Jerusalem destination.
Despite the deluge of anglos – with both Jews and tourists from around the globe enjoying the local shops and cafes – Ben Yehuda street is also popular with the locals, who refer to the street as the Midrachov.
Shopping in Ben Yehuda street usually revolves around the regular tourist tack, such as tourist t-shirts and arty jewelry, but you can also find nice little niche shops, if you look carefully (I found a tiny toy car collector shop that kept my 3 year old son occupied for a few minutes).
You can also expect to be entertained by a variety of buskers down the length of the street, ranging from black folk singers to young Korean Christian choirs to street performers drumming on pipes and whatever else they can get their hands on!
Ben Yehuda street has suffered several bombing attacks over the years; not to put a dampener on your Jerusalem shopping experience, but just be aware.
Perhaps not the most authentic Israeli experience, but Ben Yehuda is definitely worth a look. And if you get tired of the noisy tourists, head round the corner to Foccacia, our favourite Jerusalem restaurant and a fairly peaceful retreat.
The video below might give you a taster of life on Ben Yehuda street.
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Category: Attractions, Highly Recommended, Out and About, Shopping
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Thanks for this post. Ben Yehuda devoted his life to resurrecting the Hebrew language, modernizing Hebrew, and almost single-handedly made Hebrew spoken in Israel in the early years, all against overwhelming odds. He had an amazing knowledge of Hebrew down through the centuries.
Can anyone provide me with the phone number of “Vizon Matanot” on Rehov Ben Yehuda, on the right about the third of the way up the hill walking away from Kikar Zion towards Rehov HaMelech George?
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