My mother lives on David Shimoni Street in Jerusalem’s Rassco neighborhood. Despite its central location and rich history, Rassco remains largely unknown to overseas visitors. A few streets, such as Tchernichovsky and Shimoni, hold a measure of recognition, partly due to their notable past residents. For instance, Rabbi Benjamin Scharfman, renowned for his blue Chumashim with linear English translations, and Rabbi Alfred Kolatch, author of The Dictionary of English and Hebrew First Names, once called Shimoni Street home.
For those unfamiliar with Rassco, that may soon change. The neighborhood is undergoing a significant revival, spurred by new residential projects and the anticipated Green Line of the Light Rail, which promises to further connect the area to the rest of the city.
Rassco is situated in a prime location, west of Old Katamon, north of Kiryat Shmuel and Rechavia, and east of the Botanical Gardens, Nayot, and Givat Mordechai. The community is a vibrant mix of ages and backgrounds, with secular and religious families living side by side. Local amenities include several synagogues, kindergartens, elementary schools, and the country’s oldest community center, situated on Herzog Street.
Officially named Givat Havradim – Hill of Roses – the neighborhood is more commonly known as Rassco, after the company that constructed many of its buildings in the 1950s. These modest four-story structures, or shikunim (as they were developed by the Misrad Hashikun, or Ministry of Housing), were built to house the influx of over a million olim, including many Jewish refugees from Arab countries expelled after 1948. Due to the urgency of the housing crisis, these buildings were often finished with stucco instead of the traditional stone exteriors mandated by municipal ordinances.
By the 1970s and 1980s, Rassco saw further development with the addition of taller, stone-clad buildings featuring modern amenities like elevators and parking. However, many of the original shikunim have since become outdated and are not earthquake-resistant. This has made Rassco a prime candidate for urban renewal, with two major programs – TAMA-38 and Pinuy Binuy – driving the transformation.
TAMA-38 strengthens existing buildings to meet earthquake safety standards while adding new floors to create additional housing. Residents benefit from expanded apartments, complete with safe rooms (mamad), and upgraded infrastructure, while developers profit by selling the new units.
Pinuy Binuy, on the other hand, involves demolishing older buildings and replacing them with modern, higher-density developments. This approach addresses several needs at once: residents receive new apartments; municipalities gain updated communal infrastructure, more housing, and increased tax revenue; and developers profit from the sale of new units.
Rassco has already seen several completed TAMA-38 projects, and a number of Pinuy Binuy initiatives are in the pipeline. These developments are breathing new life into a neighborhood that has long retained its charm but needed modernization.
We have recently sold several apartments in Rassco, due to its excellent location and public transportation access, and affordable prices relative to its more famous neighbors Old Katamon, Rechavia and Kiryat Shmuel. As the neighborhood continues to evolve, we expect our Anglo clients will continue to embrace this hidden gem in Jerusalem, waiting to be discovered.
