""Mother is crying" • Mayor on preventing access to Rachel's Tomb: "Find solutions""

February 9, 2025   

The closure of Rachel's Tomb to private vehicles led to a significant decrease in the number of worshipers coming to the site. Want lectures with Yinon Magal? This year during the Passover holiday, everything will be different Meir Rubinstein, the mayor of Beitar Illit, addressed a personal letter this week to representatives of the Haredi public in the government and the Knesset, demanding action to change the current situation. "As neighbors near the grave of our mother Rachel, a place of prayer to which all of Israel flocks, including many residents of our city on a regular basis, I cannot stand by and hereby appeal to you in light of what is happening these days in the holy place, where Rachel weeps for her sons, refusing to be comforted." Rubinstein describes his personal experience: "My heart cries. On the evening of last Rosh Chodesh, I was at Rachel's Tomb, an hour before sunset, and there was not even a single minyan for a small Yom Kippur prayer. Normally, the place is crowded at these times, with many minyans of worshippers crying out for the salvation of Israel. "And now, precisely in these days, when the people of Israel need most of all to pray and find solace at Rachel's Tomb - access has become difficult and limited." He notes that "the attempts made to bring worshippers by shuttles did not go well. This is evidenced by the hundreds of inquiries I have received from residents of our city, and the grim reality that proves a significant decrease in the number of worshippers at the place. "I spoke with the rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Places, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, who explained to me that they had blocked access to private vehicles due to work to upgrade the square." In a direct appeal to public representatives, Rubinstein wonders: "It is clear to me that if it were a matter of renovating each of our homes, we would find alternative solutions and not agree to a situation where access to the home is prevented for a long period of time. Why is the attitude different towards our mother's home? "I do not blame anyone, and I am sure that the intentions are good. But in light of the results on the ground, we must be here for the thousands of worshippers and demand a rapid change in the situation. The people of Israel want to reach our mother Rachel, and this must be allowed to the maximum extent possible.".