Sep 17, 2020 Bar Mitzvah's - September 17th The Bar Mitzvah's in the Western wall September 17th are dedicatedto the honor (zechut) of Raymond Diwan's Bar mitzvah Further details
Sep 16, 2020 Preparing the Western Wall for the High Holy Days “May the New Year and its blessings begin”: This is how the removal of prayer notes from the between the Western Wall stones looks on Erev Rosh Hashana 5781.The holidays of Tishrei will be celebrated amid the coronavirus pandemic in accordance with Health Ministry regulations, but great efforts will be made not to veer away from the site’s customs, albeit with a symbolic and limited number of people. As is traditional prior to Rosh Hashana, this morning (Wednesday), prayer notes placed between the stones of the Wall were removed, in the shadow of the coronavirus and the subsequent restrictions. The stones of the Wall were also sanitized in order to safeguard the health of visitors to the Western Wall.Prior to Rosh Hashana 5781, this year as well, the custom continued of removing the many prayer notes placed by visitors over the past summer months between the stones of the Wall. Notes were also sent from around the world in various ways. The notes were removed using gloves and disposable wooden tools by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation staff. They were then collected in bags that will be buried along with sacred books for “geniza” on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.Every year, over 40,000 notes are sent digitally via the Western Wall website. Since the eruption of the coronavirus pandemic in Israel, over 15,000 prayer notes have been sent from around the world, about 20% more than the same period last year.Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites, who accompanied the removal and sanitization process in person, offered a prayer in honor of the upcoming New Year: “We stand today on the eve of the New Year and pray to the Creator of the Universe that ‘the old year and its curses cease and the New Year and its blessings begin.’ We find great strength and comfort at the Western Wall during times like these, facing the sacred stones that survived hardships and have empowered us with faith that better days are ahead. We pray that He will remove from us the evil decree and we will merit coming to Jerusalem with joy, en masse, and renewing our days as of old.” Further details
Aug 31, 2020 Preparation for Slichot (Penitential) Prayers at the Western Wall Plaza – Every year, tens of thousands of worshippers visit the Western Wall during the month of Elul for the traditional slichot prayers, especially for the central slichot events on Erev Rosh Hashana, Aseret Yemei Teshuva (the days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur), and Erev Yom Kippur. But this year, due to the restrictions, the prayers at the Western Wall will be limited to 2,500 people only. Slichot Broadcast In order to abide by the required directives and preserve public health, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation decided that entrance during these dates will be with entrance permits chosen by lottery in accordance with regulations, thus preventing unnecessary grief among the many worshippers interested in coming to the Western Wall for slichot who would be disappointed not to be allowed in due to Health Ministry restrictions.Slichot times when entrance will only be allowed with entrance permits:From Thursday night, 21 Elul until (including) Erev Rosh Hashana, 29 Elul (September 10 – 18, 2020), and from Motza’ei Rosh Hashana, 2 Tishrei until (including) Erev Yom Kippur, 9 Tishrei (September 20 – 26, 2020)A total of 13 days of slichot Click here to register Entrance permits for the Western Wall will be for 11pm until 1:30am. Please note that for the rest of the hours of the day, the Western Wall will be open based on availability, as it has been until now. Registration for the lottery will open to the public on the Western Wall Heritage Foundation website at http://www.thekotel.org beginning on today- Thursday (September 3rd) until Sunday (September 6th) at midnight. It will be done by entering complete details including ID or passport numbers. •Anyone can register for any of the above slichot days and can register up to ten people under one name as long as all their relevant information is entered as well. •Each person will have the possibility to win one entrance only for one of the slichot nights.•The lottery will take place on September 7th under the supervision of The Western Wall Heritage Foundation’s lawyer and accountant. The list of people who will receive entrance permits will be publicized on the Foundation’s website. Likewise, announcements will be sent to the winners on Wednesday, September 9th. •Entrance to the Western Wall Plaza will be conditioned on scanning the digital entrance permits along with presentation of each worshipper’s ID card or passport. Children under 7 who appear on the ID card appendix do not require a permit.The Western Wall Heritage Foundation notes that on these days there will be live broadcasts from the Western Wall on the Western Wall website. Whoever cannot physically come to the Western Wall will be able to watch and participate from home. Further details
Aug 31, 2020 Delegation led by Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor to the President of the United States, visits the Western Wall A delegation led by Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump; Robert O’Brien, United States National Security Advisor; Avi Berkowitz, Assistant to the President and Special Representative for International Negotiations; Brian Hook, U.S. Special Representative for Iran, and other senior American diplomats came to the Western Wall to pray prior to traveling to the United Arab Emirates.The delegation was greeted by Mordechai (Suli) Eliav, Director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, who explained how the Western Wall has been functioning in the shadow of the coronavirus, and how the Western Wall serves as a model for maintaining the routine of prayer and visits while abiding by directives. Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall, sent a special letter with Mr. Kushner to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan with blessings from Jerusalem for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the State of Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation director showed the delegation fascinating findings discovered in archaeological excavations in the Western Wall Tunnels. He also joined them in prayer, prior to the historic flight, for the success of peace with the UAE, for the health of those stricken by the coronavirus in Israel, the United States, and around the world, and with the approach of the Jewish New Year, they prayed for a year of health and blessings for all. Further details
Notices from the Western Wall Bar Mitzvah's - September 17th The Bar Mitzvah's in the Western wall September 17th are dedicatedto the honor (zechut) of Raymond Diwan's Bar mitzvah Further details Preparing the Western Wall for the High Holy Days “May the New Year and its blessings begin”: This is how the removal of prayer notes from the between the Western Wall stones looks on Erev Rosh Hashana 5781.The holidays of Tishrei will be celebrated amid the coronavirus pandemic in accordance with Health Ministry regulations, but great efforts will be made not to veer away from the site’s customs, albeit with a symbolic and limited number of people. As is traditional prior to Rosh Hashana, this morning (Wednesday), prayer notes placed between the stones of the Wall were removed, in the shadow of the coronavirus and the subsequent restrictions. The stones of the Wall were also sanitized in order to safeguard the health of visitors to the Western Wall.Prior to Rosh Hashana 5781, this year as well, the custom continued of removing the many prayer notes placed by visitors over the past summer months between the stones of the Wall. Notes were also sent from around the world in various ways. The notes were removed using gloves and disposable wooden tools by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation staff. They were then collected in bags that will be buried along with sacred books for “geniza” on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.Every year, over 40,000 notes are sent digitally via the Western Wall website. Since the eruption of the coronavirus pandemic in Israel, over 15,000 prayer notes have been sent from around the world, about 20% more than the same period last year.Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites, who accompanied the removal and sanitization process in person, offered a prayer in honor of the upcoming New Year: “We stand today on the eve of the New Year and pray to the Creator of the Universe that ‘the old year and its curses cease and the New Year and its blessings begin.’ We find great strength and comfort at the Western Wall during times like these, facing the sacred stones that survived hardships and have empowered us with faith that better days are ahead. We pray that He will remove from us the evil decree and we will merit coming to Jerusalem with joy, en masse, and renewing our days as of old.” Further details Delegation led by Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor to the President of the United States, visits the Western Wall A delegation led by Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump; Robert O’Brien, United States National Security Advisor; Avi Berkowitz, Assistant to the President and Special Representative for International Negotiations; Brian Hook, U.S. Special Representative for Iran, and other senior American diplomats came to the Western Wall to pray prior to traveling to the United Arab Emirates.The delegation was greeted by Mordechai (Suli) Eliav, Director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, who explained how the Western Wall has been functioning in the shadow of the coronavirus, and how the Western Wall serves as a model for maintaining the routine of prayer and visits while abiding by directives. Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall, sent a special letter with Mr. Kushner to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan with blessings from Jerusalem for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the State of Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation director showed the delegation fascinating findings discovered in archaeological excavations in the Western Wall Tunnels. He also joined them in prayer, prior to the historic flight, for the success of peace with the UAE, for the health of those stricken by the coronavirus in Israel, the United States, and around the world, and with the approach of the Jewish New Year, they prayed for a year of health and blessings for all. Further details Preparation for Slichot (Penitential) Prayers at the Western Wall Plaza – Every year, tens of thousands of worshippers visit the Western Wall during the month of Elul for the traditional slichot prayers, especially for the central slichot events on Erev Rosh Hashana, Aseret Yemei Teshuva (the days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur), and Erev Yom Kippur. But this year, due to the restrictions, the prayers at the Western Wall will be limited to 2,500 people only. Slichot Broadcast In order to abide by the required directives and preserve public health, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation decided that entrance during these dates will be with entrance permits chosen by lottery in accordance with regulations, thus preventing unnecessary grief among the many worshippers interested in coming to the Western Wall for slichot who would be disappointed not to be allowed in due to Health Ministry restrictions.Slichot times when entrance will only be allowed with entrance permits:From Thursday night, 21 Elul until (including) Erev Rosh Hashana, 29 Elul (September 10 – 18, 2020), and from Motza’ei Rosh Hashana, 2 Tishrei until (including) Erev Yom Kippur, 9 Tishrei (September 20 – 26, 2020)A total of 13 days of slichot Click here to register Entrance permits for the Western Wall will be for 11pm until 1:30am. Please note that for the rest of the hours of the day, the Western Wall will be open based on availability, as it has been until now. Registration for the lottery will open to the public on the Western Wall Heritage Foundation website at http://www.thekotel.org beginning on today- Thursday (September 3rd) until Sunday (September 6th) at midnight. It will be done by entering complete details including ID or passport numbers. •Anyone can register for any of the above slichot days and can register up to ten people under one name as long as all their relevant information is entered as well. •Each person will have the possibility to win one entrance only for one of the slichot nights.•The lottery will take place on September 7th under the supervision of The Western Wall Heritage Foundation’s lawyer and accountant. The list of people who will receive entrance permits will be publicized on the Foundation’s website. Likewise, announcements will be sent to the winners on Wednesday, September 9th. •Entrance to the Western Wall Plaza will be conditioned on scanning the digital entrance permits along with presentation of each worshipper’s ID card or passport. Children under 7 who appear on the ID card appendix do not require a permit.The Western Wall Heritage Foundation notes that on these days there will be live broadcasts from the Western Wall on the Western Wall website. Whoever cannot physically come to the Western Wall will be able to watch and participate from home. Further details Slichot at the Western Wall Plaza in the shadow of the coronavirus Over the last several days, thousands of people have been coming to the Western Wall, in the shadow of the coronavirus and in accordance with Health Ministry regulations, to recite slichot (penitential prayers) at midnight and in the early-morning hours as is customary among Jews of Edot HaMizrach. During ordinary days of the month of Elul, the Western Wall Plaza fills to capacity with worshippers from around Israel and the world who recite slichot and prayers en masse and cry out together: “Lord of forgiveness…We have sinned before You. Have mercy upon us.” Every year, there is a rise in the number of worshippers at the Western Wall during the High Holidays. This year, however, in the shadow of the coronavirus, the plaza will be able to hold about 2,000 people in capsules of 30, in accordance with Health Ministry directives. Please note that entrance will not be allowed if the Western Wall Plaza is full. The public should be aware of this in advance. We recommend coming to the Western Wall in the upcoming days and not wait until the days right before Rosh Hashana or between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur when large crowds of people are anticipated, some of whom will unfortunately be prevented from entering the Western Wall Plaza. The next two weeks will act as a measure for managing slichot services in peak times. The schedule of the central events as well as the live broadcasts will be published soon.The sight of thousands of people streaming to the Western Wall Plaza at night during this special week is an unforgettable experience. The power of the connection between the Jewish nation and the Western Wall becomes particularly apparent during these special days in which people need prayers for healing and are doing the soul-searching and introspection customary at this time of year. Slichot services begin every night at 12:30 at the central event led by a cantor in order to allow for all the worshippers social distancing in the capsules to pray together as one nation with one heart. Further details
The Western Wall We all know that the Western Wall, the Kotel, is the most significant site in the world for the Jewish people. We know that it is the last remnant of our Temple. We also know that Jews from around the world gather here to pray. People write notes to G-d and place them between the ancient stones of the Wall. Read more
Bar Mitzvah at the Kotel The Western Wall Heritage Foundation invites you to celebrate a Bar Mitzvah at the Kotel, in a unique atmosphere of unity and holiness, and at no charge. Read more Registration Form
Western Wall Sites The Western Wall Plaza is home to some of the most interesting historical tourist sites in the world, which offer a unique perspective on the genealogy of the Jewish people and the history of Jerusalem. We invite you to visit the sites and enjoy an empowering and unforgettable experience.
The Journey to JerusalemAbout The Journey to Jerusalem A Look into the PastAbout A Look into the Past Behind the ScenesAbout Behind the Scenes The Western Wall TunnelsAbout The Western Wall Tunnels The Chain of Generations CenterAbout The Chain of Generations Center The Journey to JerusalemAbout The Journey to Jerusalem A Look into the PastAbout A Look into the Past The Core ExcavationsAbout The Core Excavations The Western Wall TunnelsAbout The Western Wall Tunnels The Chain of Generations CenterAbout The Chain of Generations Center The Ohel Yitzchak SynagogueAbout The Ohel Yitzchak Synagogue
Interesting Facts The Western Wall Plaza hosts approximately 60,000 people. It symbolizes the Jewish link to Jerusalem and serves as the synagogue closest to the remains of both Holy Temples. The Western Wall's visible stones tell of its history from the time of the Holy Temples' ruin. The original Herodian stones are distinct from the others in size and in their unique borders. The building style of "grading" used when layering the Western Wall's stones, teaches us that the Temple Mount's walls were not perpendicular but marginally sloping.
TodayFriday 7 Tishre 5781, 9.25.2020Dawn5:29Mid day:11:31Sunset17:36Candle Light16:56Torah weekly sectionHa'azinuTimes are according to Standard Time
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation is a non-profit organization that works to preserve the heritage of the Western Wall in the capital of Israel, and supports a courteous response to every traveler and visitor. We bring you up-to-date information such as events, tours and celebrations related to the Western Wall in Jerusalem and many activities for children, Bar / Bat Mitzvah celebrations and more useful services to assist you to convey an empowering and sacred experience.