Ivanka Trump at the Western Wall, May 23, 2017 Image by Getty Images

By Nathan Guttman May 23, 2017

Ivanka Trump just wanted to share her emotional visit at the Western Wall with nearly 4 million Twitter followers. But what ensued was a social media storm questioning her understanding of Jewish history.

“It was deeply meaningful to visit the holiest site of my faith and to leave a note of prayer,” Ivanka Trump tweeted Monday, following her visit to the Wall.

But the first daughter, always under the magnifying glass of public attention and always having her critics waiting for any stumble, found herself in a world of Jewish trouble.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Is the Western Wall indeed the “holiest site” of Judaism?

Some on Twitter weighed in, reminding Trump that the holiest place for Jews is in fact Temple Mount, which is the site of the first and second temples. The Western Wall is a relic of a retaining wall built to support the second temple.

Is the firestorm justified?

Historically, Temple Mount is the holiest site to Jews, but in practical modern day Jewish life, the Western Wall, to which access is easier and which has become the center of Jewish worship in old Jerusalem, has become synonymous with the faith’s most holy place. So maybe she got it right, after all.

Contact Nathan Guttman at [email protected] or on Twitter @nathanguttman

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount