Struggles at holy sites and their outcomes: the evolution of the Western Wall Plaza in Jerusalem

Abstract

The Western Wall in Jerusalem is the holiest of sites to Jews, a historical landmark, an archeological paradise, and a popular tourist attraction. After Israel gained control of the Old City of Jerusalem during the Six-Day War in 1967, it needed to address the question of what would be the layout and character of the Western Wall and the area adjacent to it. Both Israeli Jews and visiting Diaspora Jews wanted to pray next to the wall, though there was no agreement on what type of prayer would be allowed. The strict Orthodox movement demanded separate sections for men and women, while non-Orthodox movements wanted a mixed prayer area. Archaeologists wanted to dig in the area adjacent to the wall. And furthermore, the State wanted to hold military ceremonies there while also encouraging tourism to the area. This study uses a historiosophic approach to analyze these contradictory needs and the resulting decisions about the Western Wall's layout and character. It identifies the struggles between religion and state; the status of religious movements and denominations within the country; the status of women; and other social, cultural, religious, and economic issues.

Keywords:

• pilgrimage
• sacred sites
• Jerusalem
• Western Wall Plaza

Notes

Much has been written about the Western Wall, its sanctity to Jews, and its role in history and Jewish culture, which is not discussed here. An extensive bibliography on the Western Wall can be found in the sources section of the following article: Aner et al. (1981, pp. 269–282); Berkovits (2006, pp. 124–126, 252–256); an extensive description of the Western Wall as center for Jewish prayer from a historic-anthropological standpoint, without specifying the confrontations that erupted there during recent years, can be found in this article: Storper-Perez and Goldberg (1994).

Prime Minister Levi Eshkol at a meeting with the Chief Rabbis of Israel and spiritual leaders of all of the religious groups in the country, 7 June 1967. Source: Israel National Archives, 98, 2603, GL-2.

Statement issued by the World Union for Progressive Judaism, undated (apparently from the end of June, 1968), Israel National Archives, 43, 6423, G-12.

M. Kol, Minister of Tourism, addressing the Minister of Justice, Jerusalem, 13 October 1971, Israel National Archives, 77, 7341, A-2.

‘Rules of Conduct for Jews at Holy Places, according to regulations on maintaining holy sites to Jews’, undated (probably from mid-1971), Israel National Archives, 98, 2603, GL-6.

Y. Sheinberger, addressing the Minister of Religions and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Holy Places, undated. Israel National Archives, 77, 7341, A-2.

Israel Ministry of the Interior, Jerusalem Regional Authority, Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee, protocol from the second meeting of the Subcommittee on the Special Area of East Jerusalem, 3 October 1967, Israel National Archives, 56, 4010, GL-18.

The first swearing-in ceremony at the Western Wall was probably the one held for Paratrooper Recruits in March 1968. See: S. Afek, Central Command J-1, re: ‘Protocol for swearing-in ceremony of new recruits’, March 1968. IDF Archives, 222, 60. The first remembrance candle lit for fallen IDF soldiers by the President of the State of Israel on the eve of Memorial Day, at the Western Wall, was probably conducted for the first time in 1969. See Y. Raviv, Military Secretary to the Minister of Defense, to the Aide-de-Camp of the IDF Chief of Staff, 24 January, 1969, 864, 23.

Y. Refael, Minister of Religions, Committee on Internal and Environmental Issues, Session on Planning the Western Wall Plaza, 25 May 1976, Israel National Archives, 60, 501, K-20.

Israel Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Aharon Barak, deliberating with group of nine judges, 6 April 2003. Published in Psakdin, 57(3), pp. 289–336.

Statistics provided by the ‘Coordinators of the Masorati Kotel’, the Masorati Movement, Jerusalem.

There are several agencies that specialize in educational tours for Conservative Jews (e.g. ‘Keshet’, ‘Ramah’). Some agencies are an ‘Israeli subsidiary’ to agencies operating abroad, which specialize in arranging tours for synagogue groups. In most cases, the agencies work with permanent rabbis, and sometimes the groups are accompanied by a rabbi from abroad who performs the ceremony.