The Flour Mill in Givat Shaul under construction: Another “Once Upon a Time in Jerusalem”
The Jerusalem Flour Mill was built in 1950 at the intersection of Farbstein Street and what is now Beit Had’efus Street, on the border between the Givat Shaul and Kiryat Moshe neighborhoods.
The mill was established during the early years of Israel’s statehood, when memories of the siege on Jerusalem were still fresh in the hearts of the residents and the young nation.
The site included a large storage facility for flour, intended to serve the small city of Jerusalem at the time. It acted as a secret warehouse for storing flour and grain for the city’s residents, becoming the sole flour mill in the city.
The well-known Angel Bakery of Jerusalem began its journey in 1927 in a small bakery in the Beit Vagan neighborhood. After the establishment of the flour mill and the grain storage facilities, the bakery decided to relocate close to the mill. In 1958, it moved to a new facility in Givat Shaul.
Every morning, the air filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread,
a scent so enticing that it awakened the senses and spread across the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood.
I still remember, as a child, walking out of the synagogue after pre-dawn S’lichot prayers with my grandfather, Shlomo, of blessed memory, in Kiryat Moshe. At sunrise, I would follow the intoxicating scent emanating from the bakery ovens, alongside taxi drivers, truckers heading out for deliveries, and other hungry passersby unable to resist the temptation.
I was about 8 or 9 years old when I first bought a loaf of bread straight from the oven to bring home to my mother. The bread’s scent and my morning hunger meant that by the time I got home, only a single piece of bread and some crumbs remained in the bag, evidence of the loaf that had once been there. Next time, I learned from experience and bought two loaves.
Those were the days when carbohydrates and bread could be eaten without guilt—decades before the age of lentil sprouts, kale leaves, tofu, and seaweed.
Residents of nearby Kiryat Moshe often complained about the smell and dust in the air from the flour mill, which caused breathing difficulties.
Before Passover, the more observant residents would leave their homes for a week, fearing that wheat flour particles carried by the western wind might settle on their plates or balconies. After all, “If there is no flour, there is no Torah.”
The flour mill ceased operations in 2015.
In August 2021, the historic mill was demolished in a ceremony attended by the mayor. Today, a groundbreaking residential project is being constructed in its place, combining housing, offices, a hotel, and commercial spaces.
Thus, the glory of the past fades away.
The flour mill, a relic of the state’s early years that stored flour and grain in preparation for future sieges and hardships, once became the city’s exclusive flour production center. It attracted early risers drawn by the scent of fresh bread or challah and is now being replaced by a modern residential complex featuring two massive towers, commercial spaces, and offices. In a city that never rests, the story of this transformation continues.
Shabbat Shalom to all, far and near. May the hostages return home safely, together with the IDF soldiers.
May unity return among us, and may peace come to Israel.
Photographer – The Photo Collection of Werner Braun
