A building in Central Jerusalem has a murky history that has led to it being neglected for decades.

An inheritance dispute that persisted for generations was eventually resolved by chopping up the building into pieces and distributing them among the claimants. (Some drew the short straw and were awarded a few square meters in the stairs. Some units are now owned by shell corporations and used as lodging for imported foreign workers. Some units officially don't exist.) This has resulted in no one taking responsibility for the building in its entirety—graffiti, broken glass, and the smell of urine are pervasive.

An elderly woman has been living on the ground floor for many years. Ruthie remembers that when she moved in over 40 years ago, the courtyard was once "a lovely garden with flowers," but had devolved over decades into literally the local landfill. Neighboring buildings would throw their garbage over the fence, and her front porch gradually became a towering pile of moldy mattresses, cigarette butts and beer bottles, rotting wood, burnt clothing (yeah, we're kinda concerned about that one), and years of trash.

After moving into this building, my friends and I spent weeks clearing out the courtyard (and replacing the broken windows, cleaning the stairs, and baking cookies for our neighbors) and we are finally ready to renovate.

Budget, maintenance, and practicality have all been meticulously measured, resulting in a feasible plan.

But we need your help.

Our dozens of hours of cleaning and clearing were free; synthetic grass, materials to build outdoor furniture, and supplies to repaint the crumbling walls cost money.

Thank you for assisting in the restoration and preservation of this neglected property in the center of Jerusalem.

Click here to learn more about the project