Dr. sarina chen 
  Achva Academic College
Zaddik Ha'Dor- The Temple Mount and Israeli Religious-Nationalist Society

 January 13th  2015; 12:00-14:00
Eshkol tower, 14th floor, room 1419

The lecture will examine the dramatic shifts in the attitudes towards Temple Mount in the Orthodox--National Jewish society in Israel during the last 46 years. During the immediate aftermath of the Six Day War of 1967, most Orthodox-Nationalists followed the commands of the Israeli chief Rabbinate that declared that according to the Torah it is forbidden for any person to enter the area of the Temple Mount due to its sacredness. Four and a half decades later the Temple Mount turned into a central site of meaning and contestation for the same constituency. A new generation of Rabbis turned the pilgrimage to the place into a "Mitzvah"(a religious order) and new prayers book, published by the "Temple Institution", glorifying the temple worship, become increasingly popular.
The lecture will show what were the social and cultural dynamics in play, leading to far-reaching transformation.