of March, members of the Fighting Force Schneller site, a new phase has begun. assembled at an apartment in Haturim Street to plan a strategy. The fighters split MEROM YERUSHALAYIM AT SCHNELLER’S: up into groups of four. MEROM YERUSHALAYIM: FROM ESTATE TO MILITARY CAMP…TO ESTATE ONCE MORE The first two squads were ordered to set FROM MILITARY CAMP TO up road blocks; they placed barrels in the ESTATE ONCE MORE middle of the road and posted bold warning signs, stating in Hebrew and English, With these transitions, Schneller’s Sarah Spielman “Beware: mines!” The fighters really did was transformed from a highly-classified not have sufficient explosives to fill the military zone to an intriguing landmark, required amount of barrels. However, they beckoning to one and all. In a sense, HISTORY RELIVED AND cunningly placed dummy barrels amongst Schneller’s has come full circle. In the the full ones, correctly assuming that the past, it was a majestic estate, a marvel RENEWED British soldiers would be deterred by the to behold. It towered above the city with hether strolling down Rechov warning notices and steer clear of the its splendor and importance. Then, it Malchei Yisrael or Rechov possible risks. This strategic move made became an equally important, but radically Yirmiyahu, your attention is headlines in the local and world press, different, landmark; a strategic army base. magneticallyW pulled towards that intriguing bolstering the Irgun’s public image and Now, it has returned to an estate once landmark, the Schneller Compound. Those undermining the prestige of the British again, with all its awe-inspiring beauty brown brick walls and awe-inspiring, administration. and grandeur. towering red-shingled rooftops captivate The third squad was assigned to security. The estate has returned to the past in best of past and present. The combination your attention. And you wonder which The fighters positioned themselves in a concrete way, as well. The Israeli Land of antique architecture’s detail and milestones this soil has witnessed, which a strategic building which overlooked Administration (ILA/Minhal) determined intricacy and the modern-day’s striking secrets these towers have locked inside. the entrance to the Schneller camp. this compound as a place of historical refreshing spaciousness will harmonize You stand in awe, for you know that you They deterred soldiers from leaving the importance and mandated its preservation. into a particularly eye-catching design. are staring at a piece of history. camp by firing automatic weapons at the Thereby, Schneller’s has returned to its “The State has invested so much into compound’s gate. But in the near future, as you will past role in a figurative sense, and will preserving the site, and the Chareidim will see the country’s crowning historical pass the Schneller Compound, your heart continue to be a memoir of bygone days in be the ones to gain from the policy,” says landmarks while being surrounded with will skip a beat as you peak into the next a tangible way, too. Baruch Erblich of Sun Chen Realty, the the Compound’s own unique history. exclusive broker for this project. chapter of the Schneller Compound’s While the ILA dedicated majority The estate will be gated and overseen by history. Sun Chen Realty introduces of the land for conservation, It’s true. It is a rarity for a Chareidi a security guard to ensure utmost privacy Schneller Compound’s construction the ILA did give permission for development to be built in such a prime and exclusivity. A large, underground car project. As this project unfolds, you will specific portions of the estate to be location, in such an exclusive location… park will be built to accommodate residents’ experience history in the making and see consecrated for a unique, exclusive and on such an upscale venue. and visitors’ cars, further enhancing the how this one-of-a-kind neighborhood will building project. After all, Merom Yerushalayim is right community’s serene atmosphere. change the Chareidi real estate market in a It was not an easy feat to create front, center of the Chareidi Yerushalayim. most dramatic, exciting way. Merom Yerushalayim presents 218 this delicate balance between You can’t get more prime location than this. luxury apartments. Approximately 60 Aptly called “Merom Yerushalayim. The preservation and construction. The It’s a hop and a skip from Yerushalayim’s apartments are spacious one-bedroom Pinnacle of Jerusalem,” this neighborhood Jerusalem District of the Society famed shuls, renowned yeshivos and haven, Ludwig Schneller returned. locksmith and cobbler; and a shop to the Schneller Compound revolves around apartments. Currently, several purchasers represents just that: the pinnacle. It’s for Preservation of Heritage Sites, Chassidic courts. From shuls to shops, this manufacture bricks and roof tiles, window the “famous secret bunker.” Older people have acquired two or more adjacent units heaven on earth and earth on heaven. He then commissioned skilled laborers led by Itzik Schwekey, director, is the ideal place for the Chareidi family. grills, gates, railings and manhole covers. still nod their heads mysteriously when and combined them. Therefore, the total from Bethlehem and Bet Jallah to construct The fourth squad consisted of five and Gil Gordon, architect specializing in Its location is heaven on earth. It’s It also had an apiary to cultivate bees for they talk about Schneller’s, murmuring amount of buyers will be significantly eight exceptionally magnificent buildings fighters who were chosen to launch the preservation, waged a twelve year struggle surrounded by Meah Shearim, Geulah and honey, a vineyard, an impressive fruit conspiratorially about a buried treasure less than the proposed 218, creating more at the site, which were completed in actual raid. Each fighter carried a rucksack to create this fine balance. Finally, Shwekey Mekor Baruch. It pulsates with the heart, and vegetable garden, stables and an and a hidden history. According to those space for less people. 1903. These buildings merged European with thirty kilograms of explosives. Under and Gordon presented a most exciting plan Aptly called "Marom it radiates the charm, it reflects the joy of entertaining playground. “in the know,” a secret bunker from the and Middle Eastern architectural beauty, the cover of darkness, the men approached to the Planning and Housing Committee, Yerushalayim". The To top off all the many perks and chareidi Jerusalem. German period, before the British took synthesizing together to create a unique, The Schneller compound and school the stone wall surrounding the army camp which was at last accepted. The project luxuries, these apartments are being built At the same time, it’s earth on heaven. over, had been constructed and sealed pinnacle of Jerusalem, charming effect. Several of these buildings were a marvel to behold for gentiles and and hid behind a nearby fence. Then they has been dubbed Plan 2447 G. It included with the Chareidi family in mind. Since Its design is unique; 17,000 square meters under the building. It was rumored that "this neighborhood remain in their original state until this very Jews alike. While the school catered to broke through the camp wall and crawled the preservation of all eight Ottoman the ILA mandated the construction of of open landscaped greenery. Its location this bunker contained a treasury of gold represents just that: the day. In fact, they are so beautiful that non-Jewish children, the students got through the opening into the camp. Under buildings and stipulated that no changes low story buildings, Chareidi families do is different; nestled within a historical and important documents. Still, no one along very well with their neighboring the cover of Tommy-gunfire, they broke may be made to the exterior appearance; pinnacle it's Heaven on not have to be concerned about Shabbos landmark, merging the beauty of the could ascertain whether this is true, since Jews in the Meah Shearim and surrounding into the first building. One of the men lit even interior remodeling was restricted to earth on Heaven. elevator problems. past and the pleasures of the present. no one had ever seen the bunker or even chareidi neighborhoods. “We had very the fuses of the mines and retreated. While municipal regulations. These apartments are something Its construction is above and beyond; good relations with all of our Jewish located it. Yet, the story sustained itself for he was crawling back, there was a loud In addition, the ILA only approved And as prime as it is, that’s how spectacular, something befitting for such replete with the finest amenities and most neighbors,” recalls Yousef Mourad, a years. explosion. The blast hurled him against a small percentage of the estate for exclusive it is. When asked how Merom a spectacular setting. Some of the best luxurious accessories. former student at the Schneller School (Several years ago, the story resurfaced the wall, stunning him momentarily. As construction. The authorities clearly stated Yerushalayim is different from other attributes of the Old World style are being But then again, this is no surprise that in the late 1930’s. “We used to purchase when the compound’s most recent occupier, soon as he reached the rest of the unit, the their objective in this project - to keep the Chareidi projects in the area, Erblich transplanted into the Merom Yerushalayim this remarkable project should be built on everything we needed from them. They the Israeili Defense Forces, vacated the group withdrew to the area outside martial site a historic centerpiece, preserving the chuckled. “Look at the building plans,” he development; the attention to detail, the the remarkable Schneller Compound. After were near our school, and all the needs building. Immediately afterwards, a fence law, hid their weapons and dispersed to breathtaking grounds, beautiful trees and said, as he extracted a computerized picture pride in the project and the long-standing, all, the Schneller Compound has always of the Schneller children were provided was erected and 24-hour guards were their homes. famous buildings. of the proposed neighborhood. “At Merom superior craftsmanship. Many of the best been a place described with superlatives, through them.” positioned to protect the compound. This This assault, along with several other qualities of the modern day are fused into It is under these conditions that Merom Yerushalayim, the residents looking out of a landmark which has always towered With the outbreak of World War I, the added to the drama and enigma of these strategic attacks on various targets the project, too; the best technological Yerushalayim was borne. This project gives their windows will see 200 meters of open above the rest; distinguished, renowned compound was converted into barracks for mysterious medieval buildings.) throughout the country, made a dramatic upgrades, the most luxurious qualities people the opportunity to make history by space, landscaped with trees and grass. and exclusive. the Turkish army and its allies. Later, the impact on the British. Four short days and the dedication to excellence. It’s not living in a one-of-a-kind community in Where do you have such a quality of living property was returned to the institution. after the attack, Martial Law was revoked, an easy job to capture the splendor of the the backdrop of a legendary past. “It is in any other Chareidi project?” But it was during World War II that the Make history by living in a having lasted a mere fourteen days. past and the present, simultaneously. Not going to be exclusive. Something special,” So while it’s right near Geulah, it’s its FROM ESTATE TO school’s days came to an abrupt halt. The easy…but doable. one- of-a-kund community In 1948, the British abandoned the said Mr. Shmuel Narkis of Zameret own enclave. Since the ILA is mandating MILITARY CAMP, ALWAYS British Army took over the main building. in the backdrop of a orphanage and transferred it to the Etzioni Developments. that this estate be preserved for posterity, Indeed, every detail of this project is They closed the school and deported EXTRAORDINARY Brigade of the Haganah. For the next sixty 17,000 square feet will remain open carefully chosen. Even the logo captures the German teachers. However, they legendary past And if he says so, he knows. After years, this site served as an army base and landscaped greenery. It seems to be some of the essence of the project… allowed the workshops to continue under all, the visionary developers behind this In the 1800s, the Old City was teeming an army clinic for the Israeli army. Mr. an oxymoron – such a pastoral, calm, and this unique estate. “It’s an exclusive with life. But a short several kilometers Schneller’s control. In 1947, during the tumultuous days Cohen, longtime resident of Yerushalayim project, the Rothner Highgates Group and logo for an exclusive project,” says Motti today, as construction on the compound the Zameret/Tal Group, are all renowned invigorating atmosphere, created right in away, wilderness reigned. Then, in 1856, This started a new epoch in the preceding the establishment of the State recalls, “The entire Yerushalayim would Kotainer of Bereishes Publicizing. “It begins, the ILA (Minhal/ Israeli Land for their experience in building sought- the heart of town! But if you peek at the an individual of German nobility, Johann compound’s history. From a private estate, of Israel, the Schneller Compound was tremble when the tanks came rumbling also conveys the uniqueness of Chareidi Association) and Jerusalem District of the after large-scale housing projects. Mr. plans and use your imagination, you will Ludwig Schneller, purchased 150 acres of the property was converted into a military once again thrust into the middle of the out. It was a sight to see and remember Yerushalayim, the preservation of the Society for Preservation of Heritage Sites Shlomo Tittel of Tal Developments, quips, be able to feel the joy of the greenery and land from Arabs in the Lifta neighborhood. camp of tremendous importance. The action. The British had enforced Martial forever. And a source of pride to have such historic Schneller compound, and the has mandated that these structures must be “We each bring with us the best of our foliage invigorating you, even now. He built a magnificent home and estate became known as Camp Schneller. Law in Yerushalayim, and the Irgun an important site just minutes away from contemporary construction of luxury preserved for posterity. previous experience to this project.” Besides for the rural atmosphere, the envisioned transforming the plot into a The British built barracks between the was determined to put a stop to it. The home!” Countless moments of history apartments,” explains Motti Porush of Counters Mr. Yossi Waldman of Rothner homes will have a panoramic view of beautiful estate for his family. However, As time passed, the estate became main building and the home for the blind, Schneller camp was at the heart of one were created on its humble soil. Fronet, logo designer. Highgates Group, “But this is not like the Yerushalayim. Since the estate is built on marauders attacked time and again. So, he home to a school for the blind, the largest situated in the main playground. They of the security zones. All access roads to In 2008, the Schneller’s military phase others. It’s going to be different. It's going a topography which is two stories higher Indeed, the Schneller Compound has was forced to flee to safer grounds. Several one in the entire Middle East. In addition, also constructed tremendous underground the camp were surrounded by barbed wire ended; IDF activities were transferred to to be more exiting this is Yerushalayim.” than most of Rechov Malchei Yisrael, all always held a special fascination, a source years later, the Turks assembled outposts it boasted of a world famous orphanage. structures. The compound housed the fences and guarded by large numbers of the Ofrit base near Mt. Scopus, and the of the apartments will enjoy a spectacular of awe for all passerby. And today, this along Yaffa Road between Yerushalayim The grounds also had workshops to teach largest ammunitions warehouse in the entire British troops. It was a focal point, to say The new construction on the site will Geological Survey of Israel, an agency view. Most will even be able to see the estate becomes even more sensational as and the port city of Jaffa. Armed guards the youngsters valuable trades. These Middle East. It also contained storehouses the least. blend in with the facades of the existing operating near the site, also relocated. ancient walls of Yerushalayim’s Old Merom Yerushalayim forges forward to on horseback patrolled the road. Now that workshops included a bakery; printer and for grain and other commodities. And so, the Irgun decided to launch an buildings. Similar to the prestigious introduce a new phenomena of upscale bookbinder’s shop; carpenter’s workshop And now, with the launching of Merom Mamilla neighborhood, the motif behind City or the hills of Yerushalayim. And his beloved property was a relatively safe One of the famous legends involving attack. On Wednesday evening, the twelfth Chareidi living. and turnery; tailor’s and potter’s shop; Yerushalayim building project on the the Pinnacle’s buildings will synthesize the so, Merom Yerushalayim residents will