The Western Wall

The Western Wall has been one of the centers of all Jewish culture for several decades but when Israel initially became a country, they did not have control of the Western Wall which was in a part of Jerusalem, uncontrolled by the Israelis. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t until June of 1967, right after the Six Day War that Israel gained control of the Western Wall. The Western Wall is often considered the holiest site in Judaism and is the sole surviving wall of Jerusalem’s First Temple. Now, the Western Wall is one of the most visited holy sites in the world, bringing in 5 million annual visitors. In the picture above, we can see the Western Wall with a flag of Israel also in the picture. The Western Wall (and the Israeli flag) symbolizes the rise of pride amongst Jews after World War II as many Jews from around the world visit the Wall each year, myself included. It is also an example of the rise of cultural Judaism after World War II as opposed to religious Judaism. Cultural Judaism has played a huge role in the rebuilding of Jewish culture around the globe and the Western Wall, being the attraction that it is for so many proud Jews around the world has become an epicenter of cultural Judaism.