Western Wall stones undergo safety inspection ahead of High Holy Days

The inspection takes place twice a year, once before Rosh Hashana and again before Passover, and it examines the stability of the Western Wall stones, including inside of Wilson's Arch, in a detailed and comprehensive manner. 

The inspection team uses a crane to move from stone to stone, checking the durability and maintenance level of each one, comparing it to the data collected from the previous inspection.

The inspection takes place under the halachic supervision of the Western Wall rabbi, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, in conjunction with the Israel Antiquities Authority and engineers of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation in accordance with halachic restrictions that were determined and approved by Jewish legal authorities and the chief rabbis of Israel.

Director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, Mordechai Eliav, commented on the inspection process, saying that "The Western Wall Heritage Foundation has been working for many years for the safety of visitors to the Western Wall."

He continued, "It is concerned, among other things, with examining the stability of the Western Wall stones. Each stone has an identity card based on which we keep track and inspect it twice a year before Rosh Hashana and before Passover, before thousands of pilgrims visit at these times specifically, and throughout the year.”

 

 

Ahead of this year's selichot prayers and High Holy Days, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation has added more prayer events than usual, 17 in total, and has added live broadcasts to all selichot events, allowing those who cannot come in person to still participate in the event.

The first Selichot event of this year will take place at the Western Wall Plaza on August 12, starting at midnight.