Built over 2000 years ago as a supporting wall for the Temple Mount, the Western Wall is now the most important religious site for Jews in the world. Rabbinical text suggest the Shechina (divine presence) never departed the wall, which is why it's considered such a holy site. It is referred to sometimes as the "wailing" wall, because during the Ottoman period, Jews came to the site to lament the loss of their temple in AD 70 and subsequent exile. When the old city was part of Jordan in 1948, Jews could no longer access the wall. So, in 1967, during the six day war, when the Israeli paratroopers stormed the old city they went straight for the wall.
As I stood facing the wall, the holiest Jewish site in the world with a history over 2000 years old, I couldn't help, but feel uncomfortable. The wall itself may well be the holiest Jewish site, but the fact that modern plaza on which I was standing was created a mere 43 years ago by bulldozing an existing Arab neighbourhood is a betrayal of what Judaism means to me.
As I stood facing the wall, the holiest Jewish site in the world with a history over 2000 years old, I couldn't help, but feel uncomfortable. The wall itself may well be the holiest Jewish site, but the fact that modern plaza on which I was standing was created a mere 43 years ago by bulldozing an existing Arab neighbourhood is a betrayal of what Judaism means to me.
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