The number of Jews who visited the Temple Mount on the Fast of the Tenth of Tevet increased by 100% Tuesday.
Many prayer quorums were held at the site on the occasion of the fast. The immigrants prayed the prayers of fasting in the special style of the Temple Mount, which includes an extended 'end' and a poor 'Blessed be the name of his majesty' for each blessing and blessing.
The Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion, Rabbi Yaakov Medan, visited the Temple Mount together with his wife and daughter, who recently became engaged. The Medan family ascended the mount ahead of the wedding and in order to fulfill the requirement to remember the destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple during festive occasions such as weddings.
Other people who ascended the mount include a Bar Mitzva boy and his family as well as students celebrating their completion of a tractate of the Talmud.
Assaf Fried, spokesman for the Temple Organizations Headquarters reported that all visits to the Temple Mount occurred without incident and under police protection. Muslims who attempted to accost and harass the Jewish visitors were removed, and despite the large increase in the number of visitors, the wait times to visit the holy site increased only slightly.