Pros and Cons of Living in Jerusalem, Israel
Political hotspot or religious backwater? What if the answer were ‘neither’?
What’s it like to live in Jerusalem?
Sometimes sneered upon by Israelis as a religious, provincial backwater, Jerusalem is in fact Israel’s capital city with a population of close to one million citizens spread between the (technically united) two halves of the city.
But what’s living in Jerusalem like compared to the more glamorous city on the coast (Tel Aviv)?
Here are some pros and cons from more than six years living full-time in the city “between heaven and earth.”
Jerusalem Has One of Everything — Even Large Yellow Ducks
If Noah’s ark could be personified by a city, then I think that Jerusalem would be in contention to be its earthly representation.
While Jerusalem isn’t bursting at the seams with any of the below, it manages to have at least one of all of them:
- A specialty DJ store
- A Mexican takeaway
- A place to buy Judaica (okay, it has a lot of these)
- A vegan Korean hole-in-the-wall (Seoul House, The Old City)
- One of the most historic old cities in the world
Additionally, although Jerusalem certainly isn’t bursting forth at the seams with nightlife options, there are enough bars and late night dining options in the city to keep most punters happy (my longtime favorite is HaTaklit, which means, in English, ‘The Record’).
That’s living in Jerusalem in a nutshell for me. Nothing is missing. There is one of almost everything*
(* Important caveat: at the time of writing there is no meaty kosher Indian restaurant in the city. In kosher cuisine, restaurants are usually either meat or dairy).
Jerusalem Is Surprisingly Varied, And Invisibly — But Powerfully — Divided
Far from the monolithic religious ghetto that some of its detractors like to portray it as, Jerusalem actually has quite a variety of neighborhoods with residents drawn from many different demographics:
- The city’s Nahlaot neighborhood is popular with American immigrants and spiritual hipsters
- Rehavia — the neighborhood in which the Prime Minister’s residence is located — is young and trendy
- The downtown area — ‘Merkaz HaIr’ — has a abundance of shops and restaurants
- Baka, next to the Germany Colony, has a unique urban village atmosphere
- Mea Shearim and Geula are centers of Orthodox religious life and learning
Of course, it’s hard to talk about Jerusalem without mentioning politics.
After all, Jerusalem is a fundamental status issue in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. While Israel exercises de facto sovereignty over the entire city (the boundaries of the Jerusalem Municipality actually extend, in places, beyond the separation barrier) the Palestinians have not ceded their demand to demarcate a capital in its eastern half (the status of the international community’s recognition of even West Jerusalem is somewhat complicated.)
The Eastern half of the city — there’s no border running through the city these days but the Green Line is a reasonably good surrogate — is decidedly Arab in character.
Strolling through any of its neighborhoods — but particularly those of a more virulently nationalistic character — one will see Palestinian flags in place of Israeli ones.
Minus the absence of the PA (which is banned from operating in Jerusalem) and the presence of some signage in Hebrew, distinguishing the streetscape of its neighborhoods from nearby Ramallah and Bethlehem isn’t that clear-cut.
Listening to its radio stations and reading its social media pages, one will hear the Jerusalem Municipality referred to as the ‘Occupation Municipality.’
While Jerusalem is unified on paper and on the map, there is little meaningful integration between the two sides of the city.
Personally, I like to think of Jerusalem as an amalgamation of three different cities which explains why — despite its population of close to one million residents — each of its constituent parts manage to retain a small town parochial sort of feel.
- Palestinian Arab East Jerusalem with its nucleus in the area abutting Damascus Gate / Bab a-Zahra
- Secular to Dati Leumi (national religious) Jerusalem with its nucleus in the downtown area around Ben Yehuda St (‘midrahov’) and Yaffo St.
- Ultra-Orthodox / Haredi Jerusalem with its nucleus in the area around Mea Shearim
How poorly integrated are Jewish and Arab Jerusalem? Consider the fact that:
- East Jerusalem has its own bus company and infrastructure
- East Jerusalem has its own hospital network
- East Jerusalem is by and large staunchly Palestinian in character and rejects Israeli sovereignty, viewing Israel — and the Jerusalem Municipality — as hostile occupying powers.
Arab Jerusalem is the beating heart of Palestinian nationalism. Jerusalem is Israel’s capital and home to Jerusalem’s holiest site. While Jewish Jerusalemites might work alongside Arab East Jerusalemites (who are typically permanent residents rather than citizens) it’s difficult to escape the conclusion that any manifestations of integration in the city tend to be superficial. The city is divided — even if the border fence is now demarcated by a cultural rather than physical divide.
Relative to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem Has A Bearable Climate With Cool Evenings
Although Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are separated by less than 50KM as the crow flies, they retain somewhat distinctive climates.
While both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are relatively dry and hot, Jerusalem — due to its topography nestled on a series of hills — cools down considerably at night-time, giving its residents some respite from the long and hot Israeli summer.
And Jerusalem’s relative coolness is more than the stuff of urban legend: the average relative humidity in Jerusalem during both July and August is 40%. By comparison the figures in Tel Aviv are 70% and 67%.
Compared to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem’s climate is — for the author at least — substantially more livable. The relative lack of humidity also means that Jerusalem suffers from less … disconcertingly large flying insects … compared to the city down the coast. A benefit not to be sniffed — or swatted — at.
Jerusalem Isn’t Entirely Religious, But It Is Significantly So
West Jerusalem — that’s the Jewish part — isn’t entirely comprised of ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Nevertheless, religious Judaism makes a significant imprint upon life in the city. According to the Jerusalem Institute, 36% of Jerusalem’s Jewish residents are defined as Haredi; 31% are just Orthodox; and 33% are secular. (Thanks to /u/DaDerpyDude on Reddit!)
- During Shabbat, the city effectively shuts down. The degree of closure is substantially more pronounced than in Tel Aviv. While there is an emergency pharmacy on rotation and non-Shabbat-keeping minimarkets, these are in the slim minority.
- The Egged buses in Jerusalem stop running on Shabbat.
Of course, if you are Jewish and religiously observant, then the strong current of religious life that runs throughout the city is likely to be a plus for you. The city is home to plenty of Jewish religious institutions and centers of learning as well as Judaica stores and book shops.
Keeping kosher in the city is also extremely easy, particularly compared to Tel Aviv. In Jewish (West) Jerusalem, kosher food is the norm rather than the exception.
Jerusalem Is Cheaper Than Tel Aviv But Still Expensive
It’s no secret that life in Israel is kind of crazily expensive. If you ask me, the cost of living is one of the major challenges to living here.
While Jerusalem is a little bit cheaper than Tel Aviv, there’s also a major negative: there are generally speaking far less jobs in the private sector here than in the coastal city.
Additionally, salaries in Jerusalem are often lower than those in Tel Aviv.
Tel Aviv — And The Center — Is Really Where The Jobs Are At
Jerusalem is Israel’s seat of government and the home to its most important national institutions, including the Knesset (parliament) and Supreme Court.
Nevertheless, in many respects Tel Aviv serves as the country’s de facto capital — and certainly eclipses Jerusalem in the realm of culture and economic life.
If Jerusalem is lacking in one thing — besides affordable housing for its young people (on the flip side, Jerusalem has an abundance of ghost apartments)— it’s jobs.
Partially for this reason, historically, Jerusalem has ranked as the poorest city in Israel.
While that statistic might sound alarming, it needs a little interpretation given the fact that poverty levels in both the East of the city and among the ultra-Orthodox population are disproportionately highly.
Nevertheless, I think it’s fair to say — at least at the time of this writing — that the job scene in Jerusalem, particularly in the private sector, lags considerably behind its equivalent in Tel Aviv and the ‘merkaz’ (center) of the country.
It’s Noisy, Sometimes Tense, And Often Full Of Construction
When, last year, Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) assessed the quality of life in Israel’s cities, Jerusalem finished last on the list.
Sometimes I wonder whether the rampant construction (and consequent noise pollution) in the city might have something to do with that dismal rating.
If I could level one charge against the Jerusalem Municipality (who undoubtedly also do good work for the city) it’s that they don’t do enough to take into consideration the needs of current residents when it comes to planning often disruptive building projects. During my six years living in Jerusalem, I reckon I’ve spent as many as two living in the immediate vicinity of noisy construction projects.
Yes, building Jerusalem is important. But surely preserving the quality of life of current residents deserves consideration too.
Besides construction-related noise — and the sound of incessant honking, which sometimes feels like the city’s permanent background soundtrack — many visitors to Jerusalem remark upon a vague feeling of tension.
Given that the city is home to two warring populations — Arabs and Jews — I think that’s hardly surprising. During times of political turmoil, Jerusalem, which opens onto the West Bank, has historically been more affected than other cities in Israel.
Living in Jerusalem, like any city, has its pros and cons.
Despite its tumultuous political standing, life in Jerusalem — for the most part — is surprisingly normal.
Secular people tend to dislike its religious character while those who are themselves religiously observant tend to see it as a pro.
The main negative affecting all residents is the comparative lack of jobs and the consequent outflow of young people to Tel Aviv and the merkaz which is staunchly liberal compared to Jerusalem’s innate conservatism. If there’s one issue about which the Arabs and Jews of Jerusalem can agree on, it just might be this one.
