Photo: Hagai Agmon-Snir حچاي اچمون-سنير חגי אגמון-שניר, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Next to the Hebrew University's Mount Scopus campus and on the light rail: a mixed neighbourhood of students, academics and families.
Short answer: French Hill, officially Givat Shapira, is a neighbourhood of apartment blocks in north-east Jerusalem, next to the Hebrew University's Mount Scopus campus and Hadassah Mount Scopus hospital. It is one of the city's most mixed neighbourhoods: students, academics and hospital staff, secular and religious families, and a steady stream of overseas students. It is on the Red Line, rents are mid, with plenty of shared student apartments, and the Green Line's extension through the city centre to Mount Scopus is planned for 2027.
At a glance
- Who lives here: Hebrew University students and staff, Hadassah staff, secular, traditional and religious families, and many overseas students each year.
- Housing: apartment blocks from the 1970s onwards, many with views over the Judean Desert on the eastern side; plenty of rooms in shared apartments for students.
- Price band: mid; rooms in shared apartments are among the most available in the city during the academic year.
- Getting around: the Red Line runs through the neighbourhood to the centre and the central bus station; buses to the university; the Green Line extension to Mount Scopus is planned for 2027.
- Everyday shopping: a small local shopping centre, with larger supermarkets and malls a short drive away in the north of the city.
- Green space: small parks and the open slopes towards the desert on the eastern edge.
The university and the hospital
The Mount Scopus campus is the Hebrew University's main campus for the humanities, social sciences and law, and home to the Rothberg International School, whose overseas students fill French Hill's rentals each year. Hadassah Mount Scopus is a few minutes away. The student guide covers renting a room, discounts and settling in.
Community and religious life
French Hill has shuls of several streams and a mixed, generally tolerant atmosphere, with an English-speaking presence that rises and falls with the academic year. Our mikvah directory lists the nearest mikvaot. Finding your community explains how people plug in.
Pros and cons
- For: the Red Line to the centre, walking distance to the university and hospital, mid rents, a mixed and relaxed population, desert views.
- Against: fewer shops and restaurants than the centre, a student turnover that makes some streets feel transient, and a longer ride to the south of the city.
Who it suits
Students and staff at the Hebrew University and Hadassah Mount Scopus; families who want a mixed neighbourhood on the light rail at mid prices; anyone commuting to the north of the city.
Before you sign
Visit at different times: a weekday morning, Friday afternoon and Shabbat tell you more than any listing. Check the building's mamad or shelter, the stairs and the heating. The renting guide covers the contract, the bills guide covers arnona and the va'ad bayit, and the city-wide neighbourhoods guide compares every area. Nearby alternatives: Ramat Eshkol, Ramot, Nachlaot.
Common questions
Is French Hill good for students?
Yes: it is next to the Mount Scopus campus, on the light rail, and has plenty of rooms in shared apartments during the academic year.
Is French Hill on the light rail?
Yes, the Red Line runs through it to the city centre and the central bus station. The Green Line's extension to Mount Scopus is planned for 2027; the Green Line guide has the details.
Is French Hill religious or secular?
Mixed. It has secular, traditional and religious residents and shuls of several streams, which is part of its appeal.
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