Jewish Traditions (Religious studies paper) http://www.earthcam.com/world/israel/jerusalem/?content=panorama Check out the earth cam website that features panorama views of the Western Wall. Describe

ICA#2 - Jewish Traditions

The picture of the Western Wall showcases a decent number of people around the wall who are dressed in either entire black attire or are wearing a white scarf over their heads, while also being dressed in the black attire. The place shows that the ratio of men being presented is more than women who are seen there. According to Oxtoby (2014), the Wall is located in the oldest cities of Jerusalem, where Jews would go to pray and believe that prayers should be done facing the wall.

In the live cam, it seems that the pilgrims are standing closely facing the Wall in broad daylight. We can see chairs as well and a lot of men have been gathered at one place and having a conversation, while some are reciting verses facing the wall. Also, some are entering a different building, and this includes mostly women. Also, the pilgrims are wearing the same attire that is their black shirt and trouser with a white scarf.

Similarly, according to Oxtoby (2014), this Wall is surrounded by a steep hill that is known as Temple Mount. This place holds a significant place for Jews because they would come here on a specific day to mourn the destruction of the temples. They also believe that this Wall has a synagogue in front of it which should be treated with respect, thus men and women would dress appropriately and while departing, the ritual is to walk backwards and also away from the Wall. (Oxtoby, 2014). In Judaism, the Western Wall is venerated as the sole remnant of the Holy Temple. It has become a place of pilgrimage for Jews, as it is the closest permitted accessible site to the holiest spot in Judaism, hence, they also consider it holy, spiritual and religious since it was built to facilitate the Second Temple. However, some religions like Islam, Christianity and places like Israel, Palestine and U.S. want to claim this place as their own because they believe that this is a place of reverence and holds religious significance which is why it should belong to either of them (Oxtoby, 2014).