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The pious at the wall with notes to God.
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Solitary prayer at the Wall. |
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My photographic opportunity came this past year. I traveled to Israel after a heart wrenching visit to my Mother's birthplace and several concentration camps in Poland. After my tear filled visit to Poland, I was able to fulfill my pledge to photograph the Kotel, the heart of Judaism. The Wailing Wall is actually a small portion of what remains of the outer retaining wall surrounding the Second Temple in Jerusalem. King Solomon built the First Temple in the 10th century BCE. It was destroyed in 586 BCE by the Babylonians The Second Temple was built on the same ground in 516 BCE and was vastly enlargedand beautified by Herod in 20 BCE. The Temple was again |
destroyed, this time by the Romans in 70 CE. All that is left of the vast Temple structure are portions of the retaining walls. The Wailing Wall is made up of three distinct layers of stones, the larger at the bottom and smaller at the top. They were placed there during different archeological periods. For historical and religious reasons, the much visited and photographed section of the remaining retaining walls, the Kotel, is the closest thing in Judaism to a shrine. Jews from all over the world flock there to pray and meditate. Many insert notes into cracks and crevices in the Wall, seeking divine guidance or assistance. |