Batei Ungarin

Batei Ungarin ( _yi. אונגארישע הייזער, "Hungarian Houses") is a neighbourhood near the Haredi Meah Shearim section of Jerusalem. Its name is Hebrew for "Houses of Hungary" because it was built by "Kolel Ungarn"- a Hungarian Jewish charity supporting Jews living in the Land of Israel.

The land and the dwellings all still belong to the Kollel and are rented to residents usually under a "key money" arrangement in which residents purchase (for about half the market value of the property) the right to live in a dwelling throughout their lifetime for a nominal rent.

Most of the residents are Haredi Jews who are of Hungarian descent. A major Hasidic group called Toldos Aharon has its headquarters on the edge of Batei Ungarin.

It runs parallel to Meah Shearim Street and is comprised of two-to three-story dwellings that were originally one story but were expanded along with the community.

Most homes there started with only two rooms, but have been added onto over the years. In recent years there has been a trend to remodel the interiors so that many of them are now quite modern, while the exterior character of the neighborhood has been largely preserved.

See also

* Meah Shearim
* Haredi Judaism
* Toldos Aharon