Hi Everybody!
Did the heading give it away? It’s Livia!
Back in 2017, I visited Israel for the first time with my family. For years, I learned about the country, studied its history, and developed a deep connection with the land without ever having set foot upon its soil. We travelled all over: Jerusalem, Tzfat, Tel Aviv, and more. While we saw a great deal of beautiful places, one of the most meaningful was the Kotel- the Western Wall.
The Kotel is the last remaining piece of the Beit Hamikdash- the Holy Temple. The name “The Western Wall” comes from its history. It is, as the name states, the western wall of the 2nd Temple. Jews view it as an exceptionally holy place to pray, for not only it’s significance, but also, its proximity to the assumed location of the Temple Mount. Jews from all over the world travel to pray here- many choose to leave notes within the crevices of the wall.
The Kotel is a popular subject for Judaica painters. There’s a diverse way of painting and illustrating the wall. Some, like Sarit Stern, use a palette of several hues of one color, creating an abstract vision of the Kotel. Check out these two Stern paintings of the Kotel:
Others, like Anna Zarnitsky, choose to show the Kotel with its surrounding background- the Dome of the Rock, the walls around the area, and the residences within the Old City.
