The Western Wall Heritage Foundation conducted its biannual examination of the Western Wall stones on Tuesday in preparation for the influx of visitors expected around the Jewish High Holy Days.
This check is conducted annually around Rosh Hashanah and Passover, to make sure that Western Wall prayer does not pose a safety risk to anyone wishing to observe the holidays there.
According to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, the examination was conducted by a team of engineers who checked the durability and maintenance requirement of “each and every stone.”
They were supervised by the rabbi of the Western Wall, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, along with the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Western Wall stones and personal safety
A large stone above the egalitarian section of the Western Wall at the Robinson’s Arch site fell out in 2018, which closed the section of the prayer platform abutting the stones of the Western Wall for an extended period of time.
Engineers conduct their bi-annual inspection of the Western Wall in preparation for the High Holy Days on August 29, 2023. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)The incident occurred the morning after the fast of Tisha B’Av, one of the most crowded days of the year at the Western Wall.
Tamar Ben-Ozer and Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.
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