"Meah Shearim" means "a hundred-fold" or "a hundred gates." It is one of the oldest Jerusalem neighborhoods outside the walls of the old city, founded by devoutly orthodox Jews in the 19th century. Many of Mea Shearim's residents reject modern technology, so residents resort to the printing house. On each block, white signs with black Hebrew letters invite neighbors to weddings, meetings, and announce the deaths of members of the community. The signs also inform residents of changes in the neighborhood and other social events.
Haredim live in insular communities with limited contact to the outside world. Their lives revolve around Torah study, prayer and family. Television, films, secular publications and the Internet are not a part of their world. They tend to have their own economies, educational systems, medical services, and welfare institutions and gemachs (free loan societies for everything from money to household items). In Israel Haredi Jews are exempt from army service.
The distinctive dress of Haredi Jews helps them to define, and then insulate, their communities, as well as maintain a traditional and spiritual focus. They dress as their ancestors dressed in 18th and 19th century Europe. The men tend to wear dark suits with white shirts, and to cover their heads with black, wide-brimmed hats. The men also generally have beards and sidelocks (peyot). Women, in line with strict standards of modesty, tend to wear long skirts and shirts with long sleeves and high necklines. After the women get married, they cover their heads with either scarves, hats or wigs.
