🙏 Daily prayer
Jews pray at the Wall at all times of the day and night. Many visit as soon as they arrive in Jerusalem.
Judaism: Celebration and Pilgrimage » Pilgrimage in Judaism: Jerusalem and the Western Wall
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 2 Judaism (4RS1/2E), 2.2
- What pilgrimage meant for Jews in Temple times, and what it means since the Temple was destroyed
- The three pilgrim festivals: Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot
- Why Israel and Jerusalem are so important to Jews
- The Western Wall, what Jews do there and different attitudes to how it is used
🔒 Unlock Full Course Content
Sign up to access the complete lesson and track your progress!
Unlock This CoursePilgrimage in Judaism: nature, history and purpose
A pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place for religious reasons. In the Tanakh, Jews are told to appear before the Almighty three times a year (Deuteronomy 16:16). In Temple times this meant travelling to Jerusalem. The Temple was the holiest place in Judaism, the one place where sacrifices were offered and where the Almighty was felt to be especially close to the people.
The Temple was built in Jerusalem and later rebuilt. In 70 CE the Romans destroyed the second Temple. Since then no Jew has been required to make a pilgrimage. Jews pray where they live, and the synagogue has become the centre of community worship. Even so, visiting Israel is deeply meaningful for many Jews.
Key terms:
- Pilgrimage: a journey to a holy place for religious reasons.
- Temple: the holy building in Jerusalem where sacrifices were offered, destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE.
- Pilgrim festivals: the three festivals (Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot) when Jews went up to the Temple in Jerusalem.
- Kotel: the Hebrew name for the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
The three pilgrim festivals
In Temple times, Jews went up to Jerusalem for three festivals. Pesach was covered in an earlier lesson. The other two are new here.
🍞 Pesach
The festival of freedom, remembering the Exodus from Egypt. It is also a spring harvest festival.
📜 Shavuot
Held seven weeks after Pesach. Jews remember the giving of the Torah at Sinai. It was also a harvest festival, when the first fruits were brought.
🏡 Sukkot
The festival of booths, held in autumn. Jews remember the time the people lived in temporary shelters in the desert. It was also a harvest festival.
Today Jews keep these festivals at home and in the synagogue. Many Jews still choose to be in Jerusalem for them, but it is a choice and not a duty.
The importance of Israel and Jerusalem
For Jews, the land of Israel is connected to the promise to Abraham, which you met in an earlier lesson. Jerusalem is the most important city. It is the city of King David, and it was the site of the Temple. Jews around the world face towards Jerusalem when they pray. At the end of the Pesach seder and at the end of Yom Kippur, Jews say "Next year in Jerusalem". This expresses a hope and a feeling of belonging that Jews have kept through many centuries, including those who have never visited.
Jews travel to Israel for different purposes:
- Connection to the land: to feel close to the land promised to Abraham and his family.
- Connection to Jewish history: to see the places in the Tanakh and in later Jewish history.
- Connection to the Jewish people: to meet Jews from all over the world.
- Prayer: many Jews feel that prayer in Jerusalem has special meaning.
- Family events: some families hold celebrations there, such as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah.
The Western Wall
The Western Wall, also called the Kotel, is in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is the remaining retaining wall of the Temple Mount, the platform on which the Temple stood. It is not a wall of the Temple itself. It is the closest place of prayer to where the Temple stood, so it is the most important place Jews pray at today.
✉️ Written prayers
Visitors write prayers or wishes on small pieces of paper and place them between the stones of the Wall.
🎉 Bar and Bat Mitzvah
Many families hold Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies at the Wall. A young person who comes of age takes on Jewish duties, so this is a way of marking it in a very special place.
👥 Separate areas
The area at the Wall is divided into a section for men and a section for women, following Orthodox practice.
Different attitudes at the Western Wall
Jews do not all agree about how the Wall should be used. Orthodox Jews follow Halakhah, which says men and women pray in separate areas, so they support the division. Many Progressive (Reform and Liberal) Jews believe men and women can pray together, and they would like a place for mixed prayer there. Because the Wall matters to Jews of every tradition, this question is felt strongly, and many Jews wish to find a solution that respects everyone.
Jews also differ about how important pilgrimage is. Some feel that visiting Jerusalem is one of the most meaningful things a Jew can do. Others feel that being Jewish is about how you live, wherever you are, and that a journey is not necessary. You will meet more about places of pilgrimage in the next lesson.
Common mistakes
Do not say the Western Wall is part of the Temple building: it is a retaining wall of the Temple Mount. Do not say Jews must make a pilgrimage today: no pilgrimage is required since 70 CE. Do not say Jews pray to the Wall: they pray to the Almighty and the Wall is a special place to pray. Always add why a place or custom matters, not just what Jews do.
Exam-style question
(a) Outline two reasons why the Western Wall is important to Jews. [4 marks]
(b) Explain why Jerusalem is important to Jews today. [6 marks]
(c) "Pilgrimage to Israel is the most important thing a Jew can do." Discuss this statement, considering the arguments for and against. In your answer you should include reference to teachings, other points of view and your own opinion. [10 marks]
Model answer
(a) It is the remaining retaining wall of the Temple Mount (1), so it is the closest place of prayer to where the Temple stood (1). It is a place where Jews can place written prayers between the stones (1), which gives them a special way to feel close to the Almighty (1).
(b) Jerusalem is the city of King David (1) and the site of the Temple, which was the holiest place for Jews (1). Jews face towards Jerusalem when they pray (1), which shows its place in daily worship (1). At the end of the Pesach seder Jews say "Next year in Jerusalem" (1), which expresses a hope and a link to Jewish history that many Jews feel even if they have never visited (1).
(c) Plan. For: pilgrimage connects Jews to the land promised to Abraham, to their history and to Jews around the world; Jerusalem and the Western Wall give prayer special meaning; "Next year in Jerusalem" shows how central it is. Against: since 70 CE no pilgrimage is required; Jews can pray anywhere and in the synagogue; many Jews think living by the Torah, prayer and kindness matter more than any journey; Jews who never visit are not less Jewish. Possible conclusion: pilgrimage is deeply meaningful but is not a duty, so it is important but not the most important thing a Jew can do.
Exam tip
In a "Discuss" question, name at least two different Jewish points of view (for example, Orthodox and Progressive) and finish with a reasoned conclusion that says which side you find stronger and why.