Bar Mitzvah at the
Western Wall

Jerusalem's Western Wall - known also as the Kotel – is the last remnant of the Temple destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 CE. As such, it has always been the central focus of Jewish prayer, hopes, dreams… and pilgrimage. Since 1967, when the Western Wall was liberated, the Jewish nation has been able to return to its most sacred site.

The Western Wall is a popular choice as a venue for Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations since it symbolizes Jewish spirit and heritage. Bar Mitzvah services are held on Monday and Thursday mornings when Torah portions are traditionally read. Services at the Western Wall are in the Orthodox tradition, and men and women have separate prayer areas.

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation offers a free service to help families with everything from initial planning of the event to helping conduct or explain the service. Additional assistance is available, including lending Tefillin (phylacteries) or Talitot (prayer shawls), and organizing a tour of the Western Wall Tunnels for the Bar/Bat Mitzvah child and family following the service.

For decades, thousands of families from Israel and around the world have celebrated family Bar Mitzvahs at the Western Wall, the Jewish world's most important place of prayer. Each week, the Western Wall Plaza fills with joyous and emotional families who have arrived to celebrate their sons' Bar Mitzvahs here - the source of inspiration and yearning by Jews for centuries, and a symbol of the fortitude and strength of the State of Israel. In a special ambience of unity and holiness, an unforgettable experience is created for the young Bar Mitzvah boy and his family as a new link is created in the eternal chain of generations - that of Jewish families in particular and the Jewish people as a whole.

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation invites you to commemorate this meaningful family event at the Western Wall, and is available to assist with the Bar Mitzvah planning at all stages of the celebration – at no charge.