Posted on Jul 25, 2020
In Jerusalem's Old City, The Devout Adjust To Worship In The Coronavirus Era
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"The air over Jerusalem is saturated with prayers and dreams like the air over industrial cities," wrote Yehuda Amichai, one of the city's beloved poets, in 1980. "It's hard to breathe."
Now it's hard to pray.
In the historic walled Old City, the beating heart of a place sacred to millions around the world, a second wave of the coronavirus has challenged devout communities to rethink how to pray safely. This spring, Jerusalem's revered religious sites closed partially or fully as prayer gatherings were blamed for some infections. Now Israel permits houses of prayer to operate under restrictions.
New customs accompany old worship rituals: a grid of prayer quadrants at the Western Wall. Only clergy permitted at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. "Place your carpet here" stickers on the floor of the Al-Aqsa Mosque grounds to keep worshipers distanced.
Here are some of the newest rituals surrounding Muslim, Christian and Jewish prayer in Jerusalem's Old City.
Now it's hard to pray.
In the historic walled Old City, the beating heart of a place sacred to millions around the world, a second wave of the coronavirus has challenged devout communities to rethink how to pray safely. This spring, Jerusalem's revered religious sites closed partially or fully as prayer gatherings were blamed for some infections. Now Israel permits houses of prayer to operate under restrictions.
New customs accompany old worship rituals: a grid of prayer quadrants at the Western Wall. Only clergy permitted at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. "Place your carpet here" stickers on the floor of the Al-Aqsa Mosque grounds to keep worshipers distanced.
Here are some of the newest rituals surrounding Muslim, Christian and Jewish prayer in Jerusalem's Old City.
In Jerusalem's Old City, The Devout Adjust To Worship In The Coronavirus Era
Posted from npr.org
Jerusalem
Religion
Christianity
Judaism
Islam
Posted >1 y ago
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No different here. My church had tele-church only for about three months before partially reopening about six weeks ago. We are only having about 1/3 to 1/2 of our normal attendance.
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SSgt Christophe Murphy
Most religious services in Jerusalem (especially in or around the old city) , regardless of faith are old school in nature. I lived there a year and technology hasn’t made it to the old city except for maybe credit card machines in the market
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