The carless artery that runs through the heart of downtown Jerusalem, Ben Yehuda Street is a microcosm of Jerusalem at any given moment. By day, the street is dominated by throngs of tourists shopping for tchotchkes at its many gift shops, packs of yeshiva students gossiping over frozen yogurt, street performers playing human chess or busting out capoeira moves, various religious outreach types exhorting passersby to don tefillin or repent-for-the-kingdom-of-God-is-at-hand, office workers out for a quick falafel, and the rest of the players on Jerusalem's stage.
At night, though, the tourists retreat to their hotels and the students to their dorms, and a different side of Jerusalem reveals itself on the ever-growing midrachov, or pedestrian mall. The lanterns lining the street come to life, bathing the Jerusalem stone and the street's paving tiles in a warm golden glow. The workers, capoeiristas and holy men give way to saxophonists, harpists and caricaturists for hire. In the cool winters, vendors hawk freshly roasted, candied chestnuts and ears of boiled corn, and small groups huddle around cafe tables for warmth. And the local young people come out, meeting with friends on their way to the many nightlife spots in the area.
And even if you can't experience the magic of Ben Yehuda at night for yourself, you can feel (almost) like you're there with our slideshow of images depicting the midrachov's nocturnal revelries.
