The Western Wall Heritage Foundation, often mentioned as the Western Wall Foundation, is the body responsible for administration for all matters concerning the
Western Wall
The Western Wall ( he, הַכּוֹתֶל הַמַּעֲרָבִי, HaKotel HaMa'aravi, the western wall, often shortened to the Kotel or Kosel), known in the West as the Wailing Wall, and in Islam as the Buraq Wall (Arabic: حَائِط ...
in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
. The group operates under the auspices of the office of the
Prime Minister of Israel
The prime minister of Israel ( he, רֹאשׁ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה, Rosh HaMemshala, Head of the Government, Hebrew acronym: he2, רה״מ; ar, رئيس الحكومة, ''Ra'īs al-Ḥukūma'') is the head of government and chief exec ...
and the Government Companies Authority. Rabbi Ilan Cohen previously served as the Foundation's Chairman, and the position is currently held by Rabbi
Shmuel Rabinovitch
Shmuel Rabinovitch, also spelled Rabinowitz ( he, שמואל רבינוביץ) (born 4 April 1970, Jerusalem) is an Orthodox rabbi and Rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Sites of Israel. In his duties as Rabbi of the Wall in the Old City of J ...
.
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation was established in October 1988, for the purpose of general maintenance, development, supervision, excavation in the
Western Wall Tunnels
The Western Wall Tunnel ( he, מנהרת הכותל, translit.: ''Minharat Hakotel'') is a tunnel exposing the Western Wall from where the traditional, open-air prayer site ends and up to the Wall's northern end. Most of the tunnel is in continua ...
, maintaining the infrastructure of the Wall, exhibitions, and publicity. At a Cabinet meeting (19 December 2004), it was decided that the responsibilities of the Foundation would be extended to include all activities in the
Western Wall Plaza
The Western Wall Plaza is a large public square situated adjacent to the Western Wall in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. It was formed in 1967 as a result of the razing of the Moroccan Quarter neighborhood at the very end of t ...
and surrounding areas – building, maintenance (cleaning), development and educational projects. The latter activities include bringing specialized groups such as teenagers or soldiers for guided tours in the
Old City and the Western Wall area.
Projects
Western Wall Tunnels
Of the entire 488 meters (the full length of the Western Wall), only 57 meters are exposed to view. Throughout the years, most of the wall was covered over by the houses of the
Muslim Quarter of the Old City. The
Western Wall Tunnels
The Western Wall Tunnel ( he, מנהרת הכותל, translit.: ''Minharat Hakotel'') is a tunnel exposing the Western Wall from where the traditional, open-air prayer site ends and up to the Wall's northern end. Most of the tunnel is in continua ...
consists of underground spaces and tunnels dating from different time periods which stretch along the entire length of the Wall beneath the Muslim Quarter. In the area, structures from the
Second Temple period and the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
exist side by side with modern buildings. A pedestrian path connects the underground spaces and tunnels which give the visitor the experience of traveling through different periods of time, and is considered one of the most popular tourist attractions in Israel. The site has sometimes been a source of friction due to the religious sensitivities of the Muslim and Jewish communities, and more than once has erupted to a boiling point. The most contentious event occurred in 1967. After the
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War (, ; ar, النكسة, , or ) or June War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab states (primarily Egypt, Syria, and Jordan) from 5 to 10 Ju ...
, the
Ministry of Religious Affairs initiated a project which allowed Jews unhindered and uninterrupted access to the Western Wall. Today the project is authorized, developed and maintained by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.
Generations Center
The Generation Center, formally the
Chain of Generations Center
A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A c ...
, is a museum located near the Western Wall. The center utilizes some of the underground spaces to highlight the connections between the generations. In one of the rooms there are archaeological remains from the
First
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
and
Second Temples. Visitors walk through different parts of the 'chain', represented through a range of media, including glass etchings, highlighting, etc., and using audio technology.
Ohel Yitzchak Synagogue
The
Ohel Yitzchak Synagogue is a synagogue situated at the southern border of the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. It was built in 1904 at a distance of fewer than 20 meters from an alley leading to the Western Wall. It was abandoned in the
1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine and was destroyed by the
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
ians in the
1947–1949 Palestine war. The synagogue was reconstructed in 2008 and a year later was connected by a tunnel to the Western Wall tunnels, thus allowing direct access to the
Western Wall Plaza
The Western Wall Plaza is a large public square situated adjacent to the Western Wall in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. It was formed in 1967 as a result of the razing of the Moroccan Quarter neighborhood at the very end of t ...
. The synagogue was reconstructed and renovated and is administered and maintained by the Foundation.
Hall of Ages
A 14th-century
Mamluk
Mamluk ( ar, مملوك, mamlūk (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural), translated as "one who is owned", meaning " slave", also transliterated as ''Mameluke'', ''mamluq'', ''mamluke'', ''mameluk'', ''mameluke'', ''mamaluke'', or ''marmeluke'') ...
khan with adjacent
hammam
A hammam ( ar, حمّام, translit=ḥammām, tr, hamam) or Turkish bath is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the Islamic culture, culture of the Muslim world and ...
underneath the Ohel Yitzchak Synagogue in the Muslim Quarter was excavated and made into a Jewish educational centre, the "Hall of Ages".
Mughrabi Gate
The
Mughrabi Gate
The Temple Mount, located in Jerusalem, has twelve gates, one of which, Bab as-Sarai, is now closed to the public but was open during Ottoman rule. There are also six other sealed gates. This does not include the Gates of the Old City of Jerus ...
, less often called the Rambam Gate, is an entrance to the
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount ( hbo, הַר הַבַּיִת, translit=Har haBayīt, label=Hebrew, lit=Mount of the House f the Holy}), also known as al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf (Arabic: الحرم الشريف, lit. 'The Noble Sanctuary'), al-Aqsa Mosque compou ...
platform, located on the southern side of the Western Wall. Today this is the only gate by which non-Muslim tourists can access the Temple Mount platform. The gate was named after the
Moroccan Quarter
The Mughrabi Quarter ( ar, حارَة المَغارِبة ''Hārat al-Maghāriba'', he, שכונת המוגרבים, ''Sh'khunat HaMughrabim'') or Maghrebi Quarter was a neighbourhood in the southeast corner of the Old City of Jerusalem, esta ...
that was destroyed after the Six-Day War as part of a project to create the Western Wall Plaza. The Foundation was responsible for restoring the former ramp, now provisional bridge, leading to the Temple Mount.
Priestly blessing at the Western Wall
The
priestly blessing
The Priestly Blessing or priestly benediction, ( he, ברכת כהנים; translit. ''birkat kohanim''), also known in rabbinic literature as raising of the hands (Hebrew ''nesiat kapayim'') or rising to the platform (Hebrew ''aliyah ledukhan'') ...
is a particularly significant custom is the communal blessing at the Western Wall, introduced in 1970 by Rabbi Mendel Geffner. It is held twice a year, during the intermediate days of
Sukkot and
Passover
Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or spring. ...
under the auspices of the Foundation.
Bar Mitzvah Project
The Foundation provides a range of services for families wishing to hold
bar mitzvah ceremonies at the Western Wall. These services include information and support, and assisting families. The service is provided free of charge by the Foundation and includes providing a guide who assists the family with all technical aspects connected with the event as well as with information concerning the content.
Challenges by Women of the Wall
The practices of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation have been challenged by the
Women of the Wall
Women of the Wall (Hebrew: נשות הכותל, ''Neshot HaKotel'') is a multi-denominational Jewish feminist organization based in Israel whose goal is to secure the rights of women to pray at the Western Wall, also called the Kotel, in a fashi ...
(
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
: נשות הכותל, ''Neshot HaKotel''), a multi-denominational feminist organization based in
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
whose goal is to secure the rights of women to pray at the
Western Wall
The Western Wall ( he, הַכּוֹתֶל הַמַּעֲרָבִי, HaKotel HaMa'aravi, the western wall, often shortened to the Kotel or Kosel), known in the West as the Wailing Wall, and in Islam as the Buraq Wall (Arabic: حَائِط ...
in a fashion that includes singing, reading aloud from the
Torah
The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...
and wearing religious garments (''
tallit
A tallit ''talit'' in Modern Hebrew; ''tālēt'' in Sephardic Hebrew and Ladino; ''tallis'' in Ashkenazic Hebrew and Yiddish. Mish. pl. טליות ''telayot''; Heb. pl. טליתות ''tallitot'' , Yidd. pl. טליתים ''talleisim''. is a f ...
'', ''
tefillin
Tefillin (; Israeli Hebrew: / ; Ashkenazic pronunciation: ), or phylacteries, are a set of small black leather boxes with leather straps containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah. Tefillin are worn by adult Jews durin ...
'' and ''
kippah''). The Pew Forum has identified Israel as one of the countries that places "high" restrictions on religion,
and there have been limits placed on non-Orthodox streams of Judaism.
"U.S. Department of State: 2012 Report on International Religious Freedom: Israel and The Occupied Territories (May 20, 2013)"
/ref> One of those restrictions is that the Rabbi of the Western Wall has enforced gender segregation and limitations on religious garb worn by women. When the "Women of the Wall" hold monthly prayer services for women on Rosh Hodesh
Rosh Chodesh or Rosh Hodesh ( he, ראש חודש; trans. ''Beginning of the Month''; lit. ''Head of the Month'') is the name for the first day of every month in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the birth of a new moon. It is considered a mino ...
, they observe gender segregation so that Orthodox members may fully participate. But their use of religious garb, singing and reading from a Torah have upset some members of the Orthodox Jewish community, sparking protests and arrests. In May 2013 a judge ruled that a 2003 Israeli Supreme Court ruling prohibiting women from carrying a Torah or wearing prayer shawls had been misinterpreted and that Women of the Wall prayer gatherings at the wall should not be deemed illegal.
See also
*Excavations at the Temple Mount
A number of archaeological excavations at the Temple Mount—a celebrated and contentious religious site in the Old City of Jerusalem—have taken place over the last 150 years. Excavations in the area represent one of the more sensitive areas ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Western Wall Heritage Foundation
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation (abbreviated to Heritage) is an American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. that is primarily geared toward public policy. The foundation took a leading role in the conservative movement during the preside ...
Non-profit organizations based in Israel
Organizations established in 1988