Arzei Habira literally means "Cedars of the Capital", referring to Jerusalem.[1]
History
Arzei Habira was established after the 1967 Six-Day War in an area which had previously been classified as no-man's land bordering Ramat Eshkol.[2] It was originally considered a sub-neighborhood of Ma'alot Dafna, which was developed around the same time, although it developed its own character and is now known as a separate neighborhood. It is a densely developed area of high quality apartment housing situated around a large, central grass park. It is home to more than 200 families.[3]
Archaeology
In 2012, construction work revealed the façade of a previously undiscovered burial cave. While excavation inside was not feasible, the intricate style of the facade, likely designed in the Attic style, indicates its probable association with a larger group of elaborate Jewish burial caves dating back to the late Second Temple period.[4]
Notable residents
Mordechai Shakovitsky was the rabbi of Arzei Habira as well as the posek for neighboring Yeshivat Ohr Somayach from 1977 until his death in 1998.[5]
