Immersion in a kosher mikvah

On the morning of the day of ascent to the Temple Mount, all Jewish males, regardless of age (even under bar mitzvah) should immerse in a kosher mikvah. Gentiles, who are equally welcome to visit the permitted places on the Temple Mount – "for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations" – are not required to immerse.
Those who must immerse in a mikvah should first prepare themselves by making sure that nothing is present on the body that would constitute a separation between the body and the water of the mikvah. It is customary to trim the fingernails and toenails before immersion. Any questions regarding the complex laws of what constitutes a separation (chatziza) regarding immersion, should be directed to an Orthodox rabbi.

Regarding Women's aliyah

According to Torah law, Jewish women should refrain from ascending the Temple Mount during the days of menstruation (niddah). No Jewish woman can ascend the Temple Mount in a state of niddah and without having immersed. Regarding the aliya of women there are other factors and considerations as well. Because the details of these principals are based on modesty and are private and sensitive by their very nature, and because there are a number of situations that may apply to various individuals (such as widows, divorcees, unmarried women) we will not list all the details here. For questions regarding the halachic requirements for women's preparation for ascent, including mikvah, and what other circumstances may prevent women from ascending, and for questions regarding the halachic status of particular individuals, please contact Rabbi Richman at rabbirichman@gmail.com

All who ascend the Temple Mount, whether man or woman, Jew or Gentile, are encouraged to wear non-leather shoes. This follows the understanding that we are visiting the Mount as pilgrims to the Holy Temple, and pilgrims do not enter into the hallowed area of the Mount in leather shoes. All plastic, rubber, canvas, or man-made materials are acceptable. It is also acceptable, and even praiseworthy, to ascent the Mount barefoot; however this is not always allowed by the police.

Regarding Dress

As befits conduct at any religious site, modest dress is requested. Furthermore, the Moslem wakf guards are quite insistent regarding this point. Women should be aware that if their attire is considered immodest by the Moslems, they will not be permitted to ascend. This includes bare arms and shoulders, low neckline, or shorts. Men, too, are not permitted by the Moslems to ascend in shorts.

Additional Information and Restrictions

Cameras are permitted.

It is preferable to have photo ID with you, as you may or may not be asked for it upon arrival.

The Israel Police, acting out of disproportionate fear of Moslem sensitivities and acting in collusion with the Moslem authorities, do not permit any non-Moslem religious expression on the Mount. Thus no Bibles, prayers or religious publications or paraphernalia, including jewelry, of any kind are allowed. We will be told that we are not allowed to engage in any prayer or express any Jewish or Christian religious sentiment on the Mount. All those who arrive at the gate for ascent to the Mount are scrupulously searched. Anyone found with these materials on his or her person or in a bag or case, will not be allowed up. Men are permitted to wear kippot and to have tzizit showing, however no other religious iconography is allowed. Futhermore, and ironically unbelievable, t-shirts or caps with the Israeli flag, or "provocative" political statements, are not allowed.

It is most unfortunate that in keeping with the oppressive "rules" set by the Wakf, (the Muslim authority granted de facto control of the Temple Mount, by the Israeli government, since 1967), we are, under threat of "expulsion" from the Mount, not allowed to pray, carry any religious objects, or in any way intimate that we are engaged in worship, while on the Mount. In spite of these draconian restrictions, the aliyah can still be an intensely spiritual and religious experience.
Also please note that in the face of deliberate aggression by the Moslems who control the Mount, including the calculated destruction of the evidence of Jewish presence and the remains of the Temples, and subsequent Israeli governments attempts to "compromise" on the "status" of the Mount, (that is, to hand over sovereignty to the Palestinian Authority), the daily presence of Jews and righteous Gentiles on the Temple Mount, has taken on crucial significance. Our peaceful presence is testimony to the paramount significance of the Temple Mount to the Jewish people and the spiritual life of all mankind. No less importantly, our peaceful presence on the Mount is a daily reminder to the Israeli government, and to freedom loving people around the world, that our most fundamental and inalienable rights of freedom of worship are being denied.