Work to secure Western Wall stones in egalitarian area completed

Efforts came after 400-pound stone dislodged from Robinson’s Arch in July 2018 and crashed down on platform designated for mixed prayer, just missing a 79-year-old worshiper

JTA — Work to secure stones in the egalitarian section of the Western Wall has been completed.

The work came after a 400-pound stone dislodged from Robinson’s Arch in July 2018 and crashed down on one of the platforms designated for mixed prayer.

A lone worshiper was praying at the site, at the southern end of the wall, when the stone fell. Daniella Goldberg, 79, was shaken up but not injured.

Israeli archaeologist Zachi Dvira said at the time that the 2,000-year-old wall was badly in need of restoration, and that its massive limestone blocks had to be reinforced.

The platform, the only area of the egalitarian section with direct access to the wall, has been closed ever since. It’s not clear when the platform will reopen, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Engineers from the Israel Antiquities Authority surveyed the site and found many loose stones at risk of falling that needed securing, according to the newspaper, citing the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.