Western Wall

High Court postpones joint protest and Kotel hearings to Friday, resets filing deadlines

The petitions involve wartime restrictions on anti-war demonstrations and the number of worshippers allowed at the Western Wall.

Israelis attend a protest against the current Israeli government and the ongoing war with Iran, at haBima Square in Tel Aviv, April 4, 2026.
POLICE CLASH with Israelis during a protest against the current Israeli government and the ongoing war with Iran, at Habima Square in Tel Aviv, April 4, 2026.

Unlawful or unequal: The High Court's struggle to draw a legal line during wartime - editorial

THE PRIESTLY BLESSING takes place at the Western Wall, April 5, 2026.

Western Wall priestly blessing limited to 50 as High Court permits larger anti-war protests

A view of the Western Wall plaza in Jerusalem's Old City, where the traditional Priestly Blessing (Birkat Cohanim) is held during the Passover holiday under attendance restrictions due to the ongoing war, April 5, 2026.

High Court raises Western Wall visitor cap to 100, keeps broader wartime prayer policy under review


Halevi, Zamir visit Western Wall, after transfer of title

Both Zamir and Halevi left notes between the stones of the Wall, a common Jewish tradition when visiting the site.

 IDF Chief-of-Staff Eyal Zamir and predecessor Herzi Halevi visit the Western Wall, in Jerusalem, on March 5, 2025

Former Hamas hostage Emily Damari returns to Western Wall

After 471 days in captivity, Emily Damari revisits the sacred site that gave her hope through a stolen radio moment on Yom Kippur.

 Former hostage Emily Damari at the Western Wall.

Western Wall Rabbi urges stone be returned from airport display

On Wednesday, Ben-Gurion Airport launched a new exhibit showcasing archeological artifacts, among which was a five-tone stone from the Western Wall. 

A stone from the western wall is rolled through Ben-Guiron Airport.

Thai delegation visits Western Wall after five nationals released from Gaza

Last Thursday, Thenna Pongsak, 36, Sathian Suwannakham, 35, Sriaoun Watchara, 33, Seathao Bannawat, 27, and Rumnao Surasak, 32 were released from Gaza captivity. 

Delegation of Thai representatives visits the Western Wall. February 2, 2025.

Ohel Yitzchak: Jerusalem synagogue combines the old and the new

Ohel Yitzchak is an old synagogue in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. It has since been refurbished by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.

 The renovated interior of the Ohel Yitzchak Synagogue.

Israel to fly stone from Western Wall to 2025 Osaka World Expo

Representatives of the Israel Antiquities Authority are expected to aid in the removal of the stone from the southern area of the wall. 

A nearly empty Western Wall plaza is seen in Jerusalem's Old City amid the coronavirus pandemic, on January 4, 2021.

Holocaust survivors light fifth Hanukkah candle ceremony at Western Wall

This year’s ceremony focused on “Unity and Hope,” reflecting the aftermath of the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel and the ongoing global surge in antisemitism.

 Holocaust survivors light the fifth Hanukkah candle at the Western Wall, Jerusalem, December 29, 2024.

This week in Jewish history: Jordan & Jerusalem, Tel Aviv & Egypt

A highly abridged weekly version of Dust & Stars.

 NAZI TROOPS and students gather seized papers and books to burn, in the Opernplatz, Berlin, 1933.

The lessons of Haim Taib’s Torah

The scroll, donated in memory of the victims of October 7 and Operation Swords of Iron, calls for unity, attentiveness, and mutual respect.

 Haim Taib: ‘In the same way that the Torah unites the Jewish people, this scroll became something that united the Jewish people.’

The cradle of the conflict: An ex-religious Jew climbs the Temple Mount - comment

Going up to the Temple Mount – the place of God’s presence on Earth – in the middle of this painful Jewish era.

 The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.