On Arnon Street in Jerusalem’s Nachlaot neighborhood, directly across from the busy market complex, a small orchard was planted long ago. Arnon Street is a short and narrow offshoot of Agrippas Street. Its first residents were thinking ahead. They chose to plant trees that would create a friendly landscape of oranges and clementines, while also providing healthy, edible fruit growing just outside their homes. Over time, the street itself became picturesque, filled with the scent of citrus that returns year after year.
How did a small street near Mahane Yehuda become an unexpected orchard?
While Mahane Yehuda fills each winter with colorful citrus stalls, Arnon Street blooms quietly, forming a surprising and intimate corner in the heart of Jerusalem. Veteran citrus trees line the sidewalk, reminding passersby of childhood drawings many remember – fruit-laden trees beside a house with a tiled roof.
These trees continue to blossom, offering both fruit and a moving sense of history. They were planted when Nachlaot and other neighborhoods were first established, beginning in the 19th century, as Jerusalem expanded beyond its walls. The trees still bear fruit despite decades of renewal, renovation, and constant struggles over parking. This is not a green initiative or an official preservation project. It is a simple fact: the street chose to preserve the pioneering origins of the neighborhood. Jerusalem renews itself, but in a few rare corners, it also holds on.
What do the citrus trees reveal about everyday life on Arnon Street?
Along Arnon Street stand single-story houses with tiled roofs that tell the stories of local Jerusalem life. A shopping cart on a neglected balcony, a broken refrigerator still waiting to be removed – all sit alongside homes that have been renovated and expanded without erasing the original street line.
The orange and clementine trees are part of the human fabric. Longtime residents recall years when the fruit was part of daily routine: picking on the way home, sharing with neighbors, knowing exactly when the tree was “ready” and the fruit ripe. Today, most residents buy their citrus at nearby Mahane Yehuda, but the trees remain.
Why do ancient stream names still shape this Jerusalem corner?
Running alongside Arnon Street is Yabbok Street. These two short streets carry the names of historic streams that once served as borders and passageways in the ancient regional landscape. Choosing the names of perennial streams reflects a worldview centered on flow, strength, and abundance.
At a time when trees across the city are being cut down and green space gives way to light rail lines and development, memory is preserved here. Mahane Yehuda may be overflowing with citrus, making it easy to think the season belongs only to market stalls. Arnon Street proves otherwise. There are still places where Jerusalem allows trees to live, to flourish, and to contribute quietly to the city’s quality of life. Nature blends into the asphalt, and it is a rare pleasure to see the small cracks where stone makes room for green, warmth, orange, and color.
