73 From Talbieh to Independence

Talbieh is considered the most expensive and most upscale neighborhood in Jerusalem among the ones built during the British Mandate period, where affluent Christian Arab families resided next to Jewish families for decades.

After the Mandate ended, and during the War of Independence and the early years of the State of Israel, Talbieh underwent a comprehensive transformation, as did other neighborhoods similar to it. Dr. Eldad Brin, a historical geographer and the author of the book The Repopulating of Israeli Jerusalem and the Housing of Its Inhabitants (The Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi Press, 2025), leads these 90-minute tours. He will describe the controversial changes that occurred in Talbieh during those formative years, while revealing who was responsible for them.