One need not be particularly religious in order to appreciate the sanctity of the Kotel/ Wailing Wall.

Located in The Old City of Jerusalem, this somewhat minuscule Western segment of the walls surrounding the area referred to as the Temple Mount is considered to be the holiest site in Judaism and has been a place of Jewish prayer and pilgrimage for centuries.

In the reflective days preceding Rosh Hashanah (head of the year and said to be the creation of Adam and Eve), all the way through Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) we come to recite the communal Selichot prayers, asking forgiveness from the people we have wronged. According to tradition we cannot ask for God’s forgiveness until we have asked it of each other.
May the shofar’s call awaken us, renewing our determination to better ourselves while working for justice and peace in the year 5776.

L’Shana Tova Tikatevu.

Written by: Jessica Shokrian
Photos by: Jessica Shokrian