Jerusalem – Kotel to Remain Open During Papal Visit at Lag BaOmer

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    Jerusalem – Israel Police and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) have announced that the Western Wall will not be closed to Jewish worshippers during the Pope’s visit.

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    The two bodies made the decision, overturning their previous intention, in response to a request by the Rabbi of the Holy Sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch.

    The original decision had caused a minor uproar among the religious community, hundreds of whose members never miss their regular daily prayer service at the holy site.  Though the Western Wall is merely a retaining wall for the Temple Mount, the most sacred site in the world, it retains its own holy status as the site “never abandoned by the Divine Presence,” in the words of the Jewish Sages.

    The Pope is scheduled to visit the Wall on Tuesday morning, May 12, on the minor Jewish holiday of Lag BaOmer.

    The government had originally intended, for security reasons, to keep the entire Wall plaza closed to worshippers and visitors from the evening prior to the visit.

    The Western Wall plaza will remain open prior to the Papal visit, but in the morning hours, worshippers will be directed to the closed Wilson Arch area, alongside the Wall but north of the main prayer area.  Neither the Dung Gate or Hagai Street entrances to the plaza will be closed, but during the visit itself, which will begin at 9:45 AM, visitors from Dung Gate will be detoured to the Hagai Street entrance.


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    20 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    The Earth will shake

    arik
    arik
    14 years ago

    a bezoyoin. this ex nazi youth who recently gave a holocaust denier special status, is now being matemer a mokoim kodesh. are they asking him to remove his tzelomim first.

    cool masmid
    cool masmid
    14 years ago

    You (VIN) call a minor Jewish Holiday…. but ‘ess iz noch uls Yom Tov’ …… and so the question begs itself as to why the pontiff has to come to Israel on Yomtiv…….. anyone???

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    In addition to visiting the Wall, the pope will also honor EY by eating buktzah with several of the MKs and planting a tree on Har Tzion.

    me
    me
    14 years ago

    The Vatican has closed enough Jewish sites over the last 1000+ years, the thought that he would close the kosel even for a few hours defies description. Lets close St Peter’s basilica for a few hours.

    berel
    berel
    14 years ago

    #1 ..whats historic about this visit. you sound like its a kovod for klall yisroel..please explain..

    boruch
    boruch
    14 years ago

    We need rachamim gedolim min hashomaim. We are supposed to be very cautios about the visit.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I hope a large group of Holocaust survivors display their tattoos in an obvious protest to this Nazi who hasn’t changed HIS stripes.