First they prayed next to the southern walls, where the original entrance to the Temple Mount itself had been. Then they prayed next to the Golden Gate or Mercy Gate in the eastern walls, and it is only in the last years that the small part of the huge retaining wall that we call the Western Wall has become so important to Jews, as a religious site where they can remember the Temple. In the 7th century, Muslims built the Dome of the Rock on the site where the temple had stood. Jews were prohibited from praying at the top of the Temple Mount and started praying around the retaining walls.
Today — Today — for the last number of centuries, a small section of the western wall of the retaining wall has become the most important place for Jews to come and pray and remember the Temple. The best-known of these is the Western Wall, as it is the western wall of the retaining walls that support the Temple Mount. Another name is the Wailing Wall, which was first used by the Muslims, as they saw the Jews mourning the destroyed temple there.
This name was then translated to some European languages. The Wailing Wall is basically an open-air synagogue, so there is a separation between men and women.
Anyone can walk to the wall, pray there or just have a look, but do be respectful of others a rule that is good to employ generally : From Friday evening to Saturday evening you are not allowed to take photos or smoke within the perimeter. Knees and shoulders must be covered. For information about tours through the Wailing Wall Tunnels, click here.
Make memories, create ties and build cherished family moments. I also added maps, pictures and graphics which will enable you to be your own guide. The booklets are only sold outside Israel, so order now and come prepared! Tours to take and avoid in Israel. Guide to special accommodation in Israel. Be your own guide! Whether a person is Jewish or not, the power that the wall holds within the Jewish community is undeniable. Although the Wall is considered by Jews as a holy place of worship it does not allow for all members of the Jewish community to pray in the same area.
Orthodox Jews believe that women should not don prayer shawls or lead services and should be separated from men during prayer. So, Jewish women are expected to pray at a specific area of the wall without Torahs. Some women, who have attempted to pray at the wall have even encountered violence from Orthodox men.
Unfortunately, the space at the Wall is not entirely equal and the Israeli government, for fear of the power of the Orthodox within Jerusalem will not protect a woman who wants to pray at any part of the wall.
Instead women must pray at a separate area of the wall and if they feel inclined to pray elsewhere there is a chance she would be met by men who use violence as a deterrent. The mob rule of the Western Wall is unfortunate but indicative of Orthodox gender practice in general, in which women are not permitted to read from the Torah, pray in the same area as men or allowed to lead religious services. We may conclude that the separatism that occurs at the wall is not an isolated event but rather an extension of Orthodox Jewish practice concerning gender.
Messianic prophecy concerning the Wall. The first Reform , mixed-gender prayer service to ever take place at the Western Wall was held at this new space on February 25, In , the government reneged on the deal to create the new egalitarian prayer space and defied a Supreme Court request to reconsider the decision.
The government decision was widely viewed as a response to the opposition of religious parties in the coalition. Netanyahu reportedly feared his government might collapse if he allowed the creation of the prayer space and his partners pulled out of the coalition. The decision sparked an uproar outside Israel , especially among leaders of the Reform and Conservative Jewish movements in the United States. The issue was far less controversial among Israelis, who tend to either be observant or secular and do not affiliate in large numbers with the Reform or Conservative movements.
Instead, it was designated as a place of prayer less than five hundred years ago by a Muslim ruler. Yet, even if this place was not intrinsically holy let alone as holy as the Temple Mount , or even if it had not been so designated by Suleyman the Great, it has become sanctified over time as Jews have increasingly utilized it for prayer.
Reprinted by permission of the author. Photo courtesy of Jack Hazut, J. Download our mobile app for on-the-go access to the Jewish Virtual Library. Category » The Western Wall. Women of the Wall. Notes in the Wall. Photos from the Fouad Debbas Collection.
Western Wall Tunnels. Ancient Herodian Street. An Archaeological Appraisal. Museum Information.
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