A touching custom

Jumbo mezuzahs were placed on Jaffa Gate and other entrances to the walled city after the 1967 War, though the one installed on Damascus Gate in the Arab Quarter was promptly ripped down.

It is customary for devout Jews to touch the Mezuzah, then place their hand to their lips as a sign of respect. The cases can be tipped inward toward the heart of the dwelling, Ashkenazi style, or be installed vertically, Sephardic style. There is no indication that, nearly forty years ago, these sacred scrolls and cases were considered military hardware. (see earlier blog.)