From Gate to Gate – a Thousand-Year-Old Tradition

Documents discovered in the Cairo Geniza reveal that on the three pilgrimage holidays thousands of Jews came to Jerusalem, which was under Fatimid Muslim rule at the time. Crowds of Jews would circumnavigate the Temple Mount gates saying special prayers near each gate. From there, they would ascend the Mount of Olives and hold additional ceremonies. In the twentieth century these ceremonies were renewed and now take place every Rosh Hodesh (the first day of the Hebrew month).