The Russian Orthodox Church on Hatshebi Street in Haifa
Russian pilgrims arrived in the Holy Land starting in the 11th century. However, the Russian Orthodox Church began its activities in the Holy Land in the 19th century. In 1820, the Tsarist Russian government opened a consulate to assist pilgrims in the port city of Jaffa.
After the Russian Revolution, the Russian Orthodox Church split.
The Russian Orthodox Church in Haifa watch
An increase in the number of believers
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of believers of the Russian Orthodox Church and in the number of monks and nuns serving in it. The pilgrimage movement to the Holy Land is also being renewed and expanded. During the great immigration from Russia to Israel, in the last decade of the 20th century, many Orthodox Russians who were attached to Jewish family members also arrived.
The presence in the Provoslavic Russian Church in Haifa - the Russians and Haifa
As mentioned, the main Russian interest in Israel in the 19th century was concentrated in Jerusalem, the holy city, and in Jaffa, the port of access, however, it was in Haifa and Haifa Bay, already in the 18th century.
Destruction and construction
Over the years, in addition to the church building and the first building, more buildings were built, and in 1,930 the complex had: a church, three small buildings, a watchman's pavilion near the gate, two cisterns for storing water inside the plot and one cistern outside the plot. In the yard south of the church are two graves. One with a Russian inscription and another with an Arabic inscription.
In 1960, part of the lot was expropriated in favor of the extension of Ha-Horsha Street and the extension of Hatshebi Street. Over the years, buildings were destroyed and a new building was built.
Rick
In fact, after the construction of the church was completed in 1913, the complex stood empty for a long time: during the First World War, Russian activity in Haifa was frozen. In 1919, the activity was renewed under the auspices of the Spanish consul, during the civil war in Russia during the revolution and then during the atheistic rule of the Soviet Union until its fall.
desolate
During these years the flow of pilgrims ceased, and the church stood desolate without a congregation or priest. In 1930, the houses on Ha-Horsha Street were restored.
In the early 1990s, when the flow of pilgrims slowly began to function again, he was sent Father Miroslav will do well, a member of the Russian religious delegation, to the Church of Eliyahu the Prophet to be a trustee of the delegation.
Since then, the church has been filled by a new community, among them Haifa Arabs and immigrants from Russia.
Over the years…
Over time, renovations were made to the church, the end of the steeple was changed and the cross was replaced at the end of the eastern wing. In the early 2000s, the building in the northeast corner of the compound used to house the religious priest and his family as well as several nuns was renovated and expanded.
Russian and Arabic
Today this church is active on Saturdays and Sundays. Mainly Christians who came to Israel from Russia and also Arabs from Haifa pray there in both Russian and Arabic languages, and the priests are used alternately.
cross
The church building is in the shape of a cross - a central hall located from west to east, and at its eastern end is a small wing. From the central hall there is a small wing to the south, and a small wing to the north. See in the western part of the building a tower with a bell. The walls of the church and the ceiling are all covered with frescoes.
The writer, Racheli Orbach, is a "new immigrant" from the state of "Gush Dan" to Haifa, during the "1st Corona War" lockdown - March 2020.
Graduated with a bachelor's degree from the University of Haifa (political science + Orientalism), a master's degree from the University of Jerusalem (restorative teaching, special education), held various positions in the education system, including a supervisory and training position at the Ministry of Education in the "Division for the Integration of the Heritage of Eastern Judaism into the Curriculum".
Racheli has volunteered a lot as the coordinator and manager of the Deaf Club in "Neve Erazim" in Holon, a deal in accompanying and guiding groups of travelers abroad (including groups of the hearing impaired and deaf), and for the past two years she has been active in Nesher Rotary, and this year serves as the secretary of the club, placing special emphasis on the connection between the organization Rotary and AHA (Association of the Deaf) Haifa.
Proud of two children and five grandchildren.
It was nice to meet you on Friday, Rachel, and hear from you about our "neighborhood church" and tell you the stories of Leonardo da Vinci Street.
The Orthodox - Russian Church in Haifa is impressive. Kudos to you Racheli Orbach for the article Mrs. Racheli Orbach, an educator, who held various positions in the education system and graduated from the University of Haifa with a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from the University of Jerusalem. Have a good week. Nice article Racheli.
The beauty of an article.
Rachel, you wrote beautifully.. but why this article?
In order to encourage the Jews or Christians or half-Jews to visit there. Even so, the secular Jews from whom religion is far away. Looking for places like this.
Impressive article, thanks to you I discovered another cute corner in Haifa