Halbreich House, 1939 – Another “Once Upon a Time in Jerusalem”
Halbreich House in Jerusalem is an architectural and historical gem in the heart of the city, reflecting the spirit of the British Mandate period and the ongoing story of Jerusalem.
The building is located at 39–41 King George Street, across from the corner of Shmuel Hanagid Street and opposite the Yeshurun Synagogue. It forms part of a city block typical of the British Mandate era.
The building was constructed between 1930 and 1934 by the contractor Mordechai Halbreich and was considered one of the tallest and most impressive buildings in the city at the time.
It includes seven floors: a commercial ground floor and six residential floors above. The rounded façade, balconies with mesh railings, and architectural details reflect the European style brought to Jerusalem in those days.
Over the years, Halbreich House has served a variety of purposes.
During the War of Independence, due to its height and strategic location, it was used as a lookout post by the Haganah. Observers, including soldier Clara Cohen, watched from the roof with binoculars toward the Old City, providing intelligence and reporting enemy movements — long before the era of exploding beepers.
In 1947, after a period in which the building had been occupied by various groups as part of the struggle to ensure the safety of residents in the divided city, it was returned to its original tenants.
Later, a road was built beside Halbreich House leading to the Plaza Hotel (now the Leonardo Hotel). Today, to the right of the building, a luxurious project is underway on the site of the old Solel Boneh building. It includes a 255-room hotel and a 15-story upscale residential building overlooking Independence Park, the Old City walls, the Tower of David, and the Temple Mount — a project we had the honor of helping to market.
Across the street, the Beit Avi Chai cultural center was established, along with the nearby National Institutions House.
To all those who click their tongues at the city’s rapid development, it’s worth remembering that in 1939, when the photo was taken, 90,000 Jews lived in Jerusalem.
Today, Jerusalem has about 1.05 million residents, of whom approximately 650,000 are Jewish, along with around a million more in the greater metropolitan area.
Am Yisrael Chai!
On King George Street as seen in the photo — probably the last time it was captured without heavy traffic — a new light rail line is currently being constructed, as the city continues to grow, evolve, and transform its landscape as part of the natural expansion of the most important city in the world.
A peaceful Shabbat to all those far and near from Jerusalem, a city that’s developing, yet deeply remembers and is connected to both its glorious past and no less glorious present.
May our kidnapped brothers return quickly to their homes, along with the IDF soldiers. May we act toward and merit true unity among us — and may peace come upon Israel.
Photographer: Zvi Oron
