Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim, Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, called on all Jews throughout the world today to pray for the return of the Holy Places and to seek the right of access to the Wailing Wall, traditionally believed to be the Western Wall of the Temple. The Wailing Wall, in the Old City of Jerusalem, is in Jordanian hands and Jews are not permitted to visit it despite the terms of the Jordanian-Israel armistice assuring freedom of access to the Holy Places.
Rabbi Nissim’s call was issued in his message for Tisha B’av, the Jewish day of mourning for the destruction of the Temple, observed today by Jews all over the world. The Israel Parliament adjourned yesterday until Wednesday in observance of the fast and all movie houses and other places of entertainment in the country were closed last night. Most government offices, where employees had the option of not working today, were only partly staffed. Jewish Agency offices were closed for the day.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
