A record-breaking crowd of Jews flocked to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount this past Jewish year, marking a big shift in how people connect with this sacred spot.
The Jerusalem-based group Beyadenu shared the news Thursday, revealing that 68,429 Jews visited the Temple Mount— a 22% jump from the 56,057 who went last year. It’s the most ever recorded since tracking started, and Beyadenu believes it could be the highest turnout since the Second Temple fell centuries ago.
“This shows real change,” said Akiva Ariel, a spokesperson for Beyadenu, in a chat with The Press Service of Israel. “There’s an awakening among Israelis. Talk about the Temple and Temple Mount used to sound extreme. Now, people are embracing it openly.”
For Jews, the Temple Mount stands as the holiest site, home to the ancient First and Second Jewish Temples. But access has long been tricky under a fragile status quo set in 1967. That’s when Israel captured East Jerusalem, including the Old City, from Jordan in the Six-Day War. To avoid sparking a religious clash, then-Defense Minister Moshe Dayan handed day-to-day control to the Islamic Waqf, a Muslim authority backed by Jordan’s king. Israel keeps overall sovereignty and handles security.
Under these rules, non-Muslims like Jews can tour the Temple Mount but can’t pray there. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sticks to this line, insisting Jewish prayer stays off-limits. Yet, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the police, has pushed hard for change. He even led open Jewish prayers at the site in August during Tisha B’Av, a somber day remembering the Temples’ destruction.
Rabbis aren’t all on the same page anymore. For ages, most forbade Jews from climbing the Temple Mount due to strict ritual purity laws tied to the site. But lately, more rabbis say those rules don’t cover every part of the area and urge visits to keep Jewish ties strong.
When Jews want to pray, they head to the nearby Western Wall instead. It’s the closest surviving piece of a massive wall King Herod built around the Temple Mount in the first century, making it the next holiest spot for Jewish worship.
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