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The Armon of

Ezra Street

Ruchama Alter

tanding prominently on Ezra In 1928, Chana Schpitzer established a reli-
Street in the Bukharim Quarter gious girls’ school in the building. Chana
of Jerusalem, the Armon, the was a member of the Rivlin clan, whose
S“Palace”, still retains some of its ancestors were students of the Vilna
former glory. The house, constructed in Gaon and who were active in establishing
the early 20th century, is the largest and Jewish neighborhoods outside of the walls
most impressive home in the neighbor- of the Old City. Chana was educated by
hood built by Bukhari olim from Uzbeki- private tutors and received an unusually
stan in the late 1800s. The Bukharim estab- well-rounded Jewish education, preparing
lished a luxurious neighborhood, planned her for a leadership and pedagogical role.
by the architect Conrad Schick, who also
designed Meah Shearim. The stone homes, While raising her own small children,
Chana began to teach reading and writing
tree-lined streets and grid design created
a beautiful atmosphere. to girls in the neighborhood, ultimately
developing a plan for a Jewish girls’
The Armon, built by the Yehudayoff and school. Because the school was planned
Hefetz families, was the largest home in for girls and because Chana intended to
the neighborhood, boasting 30 beautifully make Hebrew the school’s language of
decorated rooms, a synagogue, a mikveh instruction, Agudat Yisrael denied her
and a sukkah with an advanced retractable funding requests (this was before the
roof. It was intended to host the Mashiach establishment of the Bais Yaakov schools
when he would arrive in Jerusalem! in Poland by Sarah Schenirer in 1917).
Chana Schpitzer then turned to Mizrachi,
After the Bolshevik takeover of Russia, which agreed to fund the school. In 1919,
the Bukhari community became impover- the school became an official institution
ished. As a result, some of the houses were of the Mizrachi Education Department.
abandoned and the Armon was turned into
a Turkish headquarters. When the Brit- Chana’s educational vision was broad and
ish conquered the area in 1917, the World included commercial courses to aid the
Zionist Organization hosted an elaborate girls in productive employment after grad- much of its original decor has been dam-
Seder for hundreds of Jewish British sol- uation. At the same time, in addition to aged. But while the Armon could certainly
diers at the Armon. In 1921, the election of standard classes in Hebrew and in Tanach, use a physical upgrade, it is comforting to
Rav Kook as the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of the school taught Talmud – a revolution- know that young Jewish women continue
the Mandate also took place here. ary step at the time. Beginning with 70 to learn Torah inside its walls. The candle
girls, the school flourished and eventually lit by Chana Schpitzer continues to shine!
expanded to several branches, including
elementary and high schools.
While serving as a girls’ school, the Armon
was also used by Chana’s son-in-law, David
Raziel, one of the founders of the Etzel
underground fighters. Secret meetings
were held in the basement of the school,
and a secret slik, an arms cache, was main- Ruchama Alter
tained in the building. is a tour guide and lercturer in Jerusalem
and abroad. She completed her graduate
Today the building is home to two Charedi studies in Bible and Jewish Studies
girls’ schools. Unfortunately, the interior at the University of Toronto.
of the building has sadly deteriorated, and

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