Neighbors, Neighborhoods, Neighborliness

Neighbors, Neighborhoods, Neighborliness explores the development of urban neighborhoods established during the British Mandate and their pivotal role in shaping the Yishuv and Jewish society in Palestine. Combining “history from above”—planning and legislation—with “history from below”—the everyday experiences of residents—the book shows how neighborhoods emerged not only through planning policies but also through private initiatives and grassroots community efforts. It examines interactions among residents—immigrants, workers, housewives, and entrepreneurs—and between neighborhoods and institutions, from local committees to the Mandate government. The study highlights how processes of modernity intersected with questions of gender and nationalism, tracing the relationships among diverse social groups: women and men, children and adults, immigrants and native-born Jews, Jews from Europe and MENA countries, and Jews and Arabs. Through its analysis of construction patterns, social dynamics, and communal relationships, the book traces the emergence of “neighborhood citizenship”—a sense of belonging rooted in everyday life that shaped both urban development and the broader social fabric. Neighbors, Neighborhoods, Neighborliness is not only a history of places but of people and communities. It offers new insights into the social cohesion of the Yishuv and uncovers the origins of the social divisions that continue to shape Israeli society today.