The character of ghettos varied over times. In some cases, they comprised a Jewishquarter, the area of a city traditionally inhabited by Jews. In many instances, ghettos were places of terrible poverty and during periods of population growth, ghettos had narrow streets and small, crowded houses. Residents had their own justice system. Around the ghetto stood walls that, during pogroms, were closed from inside to protect the community, but from the outside during Christmas Peasech, and Easter week to prevent the Jews from leaving during those times.