Elder mekubal Rabi Shalom Shmueli shrouds his greatness in a shoemaker’s guise
Photos: Elchanan Kotler
The bustle of the Machaneh Yehudah market is clearly audible even though it’s only the beginning of the week. It resounds through the stone alleyways around Agrippas Street, echoing through the windows and doors of the century-old homes, until it reaches one narrow street that’s barely wide enough for a car and pedestrian to pass at once. This is the seam line between the quaint Nachlaot neighborhood and pathways that feed into the market. But even during the busiest shopping hours, this spot remains quiet — as if a soundproof barrier exists around the building of Yeshivat Hamekubalim Nahar Shalom.