Another Once Upon a Time in Jerusalem,
And this time, The Saidoff Houses, pictured here in 1971.
The Saidoff Houses were built by Yitzhak Saidoff in 1911, along what is now Yaffo Street, just west of the Machane Yehuda Market.
Saidoff was a wealthy Bukharian Jewish businessman who envisioned a residential and commercial complex built in the style of the courtyard neighborhoods that were common at the time.
Two reservoirs were dug in the central courtyard to provide water for the residents, with staircases beside them leading up to the residential level above.
For its day, the residential floor was considered remarkably luxurious and modern. The complex even featured three- and four-bedroom apartments – an extraordinary level of comfort and prestige for early 20th-century Jerusalem.
On the western side of the complex stood a synagogue, and purchasers of the apartments were contractually required to pray there.
Yitzhak Saidoff also hoped to build a mikveh within the complex. To raise the necessary funds, he traveled to Bukhara. Tragically, he passed away during that journey before his vision could be completed.
Over the decades, the condition of the complex steadily declined.
The shops were gradually taken over by craftsmen who converted them into workshops. Many of the once-elegant apartments became storage spaces, and the entire property fell into neglect and disrepair.
Meanwhile, Jerusalem continued to grow. Most of the buildings visible to the right in this photograph were demolished to widen Yaffo Street and make way for the city’s light rail. Only portions of the historic facades were preserved, while the balconies of the Saidoff Houses were removed from the street-facing side.
After decades of neglect, Saidoff’s descendants set out to restore the historic complex.
They first renovated the existing residential and commercial buildings, replacing the windows and installing a new roof.
The family later partnered with Ashdar, which developed one of Jerusalem’s first residential high-rise towers along Yaffo Street near Machane Yehuda Market.
It was the first time the Bukharian Jewish family, well known for their strong real estate instincts and for holding onto property rather than selling it, sold part of their development rights to a third party. Thankfully, they retained ownership of a number of the new apartments, so the family legacy remained intact.
The tower became one of the pioneers of Jerusalem’s new urban planning era, which encouraged vertical construction in response to the city’s growing population and limited land supply. Rising 27 stories above the market area, it broke the traditional skyline. While many appreciate its contribution to the city’s development, others view its architecture as rather plain and uninspired, adding little of the grandeur that characterized Jerusalem’s older buildings.
Inside, however, the building was constructed to a high standard, and today the tower is home primarily to Jewish residents from around the world.
The historic courtyard was carefully restored, complete with a new fountain at its center. A new synagogue was also built on the eastern side of the courtyard and named in memory of Yitzhak Saidoff, the founder of the complex, bringing his story full circle and honoring the man whose original vision shaped the site more than a century ago.
This is our Jerusalem.
A city where the old stands beside the new. A 120-year-old complex founded by a wealthy Bukharian Jew who tragically died while raising funds for his dream; a place that fell into neglect, was lovingly restored, and today welcomes Jewish families from the four corners of the world. And finally, a synagogue that completes the circle, giving its founder the lasting tribute he deserves.
Shabbat Shalom to those far and near, from Jerusalem. ❤️
Photo: Reuven Milon.
