Baka, Jerusalem

Corner of Judah Street and Bethlehem Road, Baka

Baka (Arabic: بقعه‎, lit. "Valley") (Hebrew: בַּקְעָה‎‎) is a neighborhood in southern Jerusalem, Israel. Its official name is Geulim, but other than on road signs the official name is not often used. The neighborhood is bounded by Talpiot to the south, Mekor Chaim to the west, the Greek Colony and German Colony to the northwest, and Abu Tor to the east.

History

Baka was established in the 1920s by wealthy Muslim and Christians families who built mansions there. The neighborhood had an agricultural character until the 1950s.

Baka under IDF control, 1948

During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the neighborhood was left on the Israeli (western) side of the dividing line between West Jerusalem and East Jerusalem. Its population changed, as with many neighborhoods on both sides of the dividing line. The neighborhood became a central location because of the Jerusalem Railway Station located at its edge. The station linked Jerusalem from the 19th century until service ended in 1998. Many streets in Baka are named for the Twelve Tribes: Judah, Issachar, Zevulun, Reuven, Shimon, Gad, Ephraim, Menashe, Benjamin, Dan, Asher and Naphtali.

Demography

Demographically, the neighborhood contains a mix of religious and secular Jews. It is popular among English and French-speaking immigrants.

Schools and public institutions

The Pelech School.

The four main schools are Oranim, Efrata, Geulim A, and Pelech. Ulpan Etzion, Israel's first Hebrew-language school, was established in Baka in 1949. The ulpan, directed by Mordechai Kamerat, was used as a model for Hebrew language education across the country. In 2008, the school vacated its college-style dormitories, communal rooms and gardens after the lease expired with the Carmelite Church that owned the property.