Thread by @ZechariahSharab

🧵on "East" #Jerusalem

1) People are trying to justify yesterday's horrific attack on Jews (as they exited synagoguge prayers during the holiest day of the week) by saying it took place in "East" #Jerusalem, a term made up by #Jordan when they occupied this land in 1948

2) Did you know that Batn Al-Hawa حي بطن الهوى the largest part of Silwan #Jerusalem was established by #Yemeni Jews in 1881? The land was purchased by the Ezrat Nidachim charity fund and included synagogues, yeshivas, and many homes

3) Here is a picture from 1890 showing Yemeni Jews (with our famous sidecurls) working the fields, with the Yemeni neighborhood in the background

4) And another picture showing the boys' school in Silwan #Jerusalem 1890

5) Here is another view of the Batn Al-Hawa حي بطن الهوى neighborhood, which was bought and built from the ground up by Yemeni Jews

One can see there are no other buildings anywhere in sight

6) #Yemeni Jews were forced out of their homes in Silwan in 1891 following on-going violence and attacks, never to return again...

7) Another neighborhood in "East" #Jerusalem is Sheikh Jarrah, which centered on the tomb of Simeon the Righteous, a member of the Great Assembly, the governing body of the Jewish people dating back to 2nd Century CE

8) In 1876, the cave and the adjoining land, planted with 80 ancient olive trees, were purchased by the Jews

Here is a picture from 1927 showing Jews on their pilgrimage to prayer at the tomb of Simeon the Righteous

9) The land in Sheikh Jarrah was purchased by the indigenous Sephardic Jewish Community of #Jerusalem.

This community was extermely devoted to religious study and prayer, and lived in peace with their Muslim neighbors

10) Another view of the tomb of Simeon the Just, the 2nd Century Sage, circa 1900

11) Once again, #Jordan exiled this entire indigenous Jewish community in 1948 when they occupied the Eastern part of #Jerusalem, illegally taking their homes and land

12) But #Jordan didn't stop there. They also occupied the Old City of #Jerusalem and defined it as "East Jerusalem", and destroyed the entire Jewish Quarter!

They destroyed the anicent Hurva synagogue and the adjacent Nachmanides synagouge, built in 1267

13) Here is a rare of photo of the Hurva synagogue, in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of #Jerusalem, circa 1900

14) And here is what was left of it, captured in the early 2000's

15) In 2009 it was finally rebuilt in all its glory, using the original architectural plans

16) Another beautiful synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of #Jerusalem detroyed by #Jordan is the Tifereth Israel synagogue

17) Here is what it looked like after the attack by #Jordan who used 100kgs of explosives specifically targetting this holy site

The Jordanians later walked into the synagogue and looted its remaining artifacts

This synagogue is still being rebuilt to this day

18) #Jordan also destroyed the ancient Beth El Yeshiva in the Old City of #Jerusalem, established in 1737, forcing its students to continue their studies elsewhere

Beth El was the most influential of the mystical yehivas, led by #Yemeni sage Rabbi Shalom Shar'abi zt"l

19) #Jordan also destroyed the ancient Sephardic Porath Yosef Yeshiva adjacent to the Western Wall, deliberately using explosives to remove all Jewish learning from the old City, exiling hundreds of students

This was not an attack on "Zionism", but rather on the core of Judaism

20) They destroyed the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives (also in the "East"), where so many of our holy Sages and scholars are buried

21) Using the headstones for building stairs, sidewalks, and even latrines

22) And worse of all, Jews were not allowed to pray at the Western Wall in #Jerusalem between 1948-1967!

Here is a glimpse of indigenous Sephardic Jews praying at the Western Wall in 1934

23) So next time you see the artifical term "East #Jerusalem", don't be fooled!

#Jerusalem was, and always will be, one united city

Venerated by the 3 great Abrahamic religions and open to all إِنْ شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ

*in 1929