It's because it's a remnant of the wall that surrounded the Jewish Temple, and is located in the old city of Jerusalem, at the foot of the Temple Mount.
(Note: There is no such thing as a wailing wall. This is a misnomer imposed by non-Jewish people who misunderstood the dinstinctive style of Jewish prayer, and thought it was wailing.)
Jews pray at the wall because for many different personal reasons, but in general, it is a place of prayer and hope.
Jews pray there NOT because God is closer to them there, but because they feel God's presense more clearly there.
Put to short terms:
The western wall (kotel) is the outer wall of the 2nd temple in Jerusalem. The temple was the sanctuary of G-d's Glory and where all the Jews spent praising their blessed
G-d. The Jews have lost their temple because they were not following their bible from the Almighty properly. Because of this they were scattered all over the world, while hoping their messiah will bring them back to their land and restore the love to each other and G-d and then rebuild their holy temple to bring them closer to G-d for all eternity
so the western wall is important to them because its a wall from their Holy Temple from G-d.
There is no such thing as a wailing wall. This is a misnomer imposed by non-Jewish people who misunderstood the dinstinctive style of Jewish prayer, and thought it was wailing.
You are most likely referring to the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
The Western Wall was built as part of the expansion of the 2nd Jewish Temple, approximate 20 BCE. It is a retaining wall of the Temple mount that was built by King Herod.
Jews generally say prayers at the Western Wall, and there is a tradition of placing notes inside the wall's cracks.
The Western Wall, or Wailing Wall, has been a site for Jewish prayer and pilgrimage for centuries. It is is located in the Old City of Jerusalem at the foot of the western side of the area known as the Noble Sanctuary and the Temple Mount. The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism and is the place to which Jews turn during prayer.
According to ancient Hebrew tradition, the Temple Mount is the site where God took the very earth from which Adam, the first man, was formed. Read Genesis carefully: Adam was not created in the garden of Eden; he was TAKEN there. The Temple Mount, because it is the first place on Earth where the spirit of God dwelt, is considered sacred, and a direct link to God.
Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion and the Temple Mount has been its only holy site for 3000 years, ever since King Solomon built the first Jewish Temple there. The temple was destroyed by invading Babylonians and rebuilt at the same site about 2500 years ago. It was then destroyed again when the Romans conquered Judea about 2000 years ago, killing a million Jews. All Jews who value their heritage feel ties to the holy land, where so many of their people struggled for the freedom to practice Judaism. At the same time, Jews believe that all people should be welcome there, regardless of faith.
Jerusalem is the eternal Jewish city, and a symbol of a future time of peace. Jerusalem is also the focal point of prayer of the Jews. When they pray, wherever they are, they face towards Jerusalem and specifically the Temple Mount (Talmud, Berakhot 30a), with love and longing. For thousands of years we remembered our exile and prayed for its end. Now at least we can do so from "up close."
See also:
The Western Wall is what still stands of the retaining walls of the Temple Mount.
Because it is part of the structure of the Temple Mount which housed the Holy Temple.
The Western Wall or Wailing Wall is the most accessible remaining piece of the Temple in Jerusalem that was destroyed by the Romans in the year 70. It isn't the Temple itself, but just the retaining wall that held up that side of the terrace around the Temple. Still, huge portions of the Jewish liturgy are focused on the Temple. Jews are supposed to face the Temple when praying, the daily prayer services in the liturgy serve to recall the sacrificial services in the Temple, and the Hebrew scriptures is, in large part, a history of the Temple. There is much more to Judaism than the memory of the Temple, but much of the rest is layered on top of that memory.
the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
The Western Wall (or Kotel).
The Western Wall is located in Jerusalem, Israel. There is no such thing as a wailing wall. This is a misnomer imposed by non-Jewish people who misunderstood the dinstinctive style of Jewish prayer at the "Western Wall", and thought it was wailing.
The Western Wall is located in JERUSALEM, ISRAEL.For more clarity on the status of Jerusalem, please see the Related Question: What is the status of Jerusalem?
The Western wall is located on the western side of the temple mount (called the Western Wall Plaza), in the heart of old Jerusalem.
In Jerusalem
Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Israel
The Western Wall is located in Jerusalem, Israel. Latitude/Longitude 31.777231,35.234581
The Western Wall is particularly sacred to the JUDAISM, the religion of the Jews.However, the general Temple Mount site, of which the Western Wall is just a part, is holy to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Israel , Jerusalem
The 'wailing wall' - it's in Jerusalem, it is the remaining, western wall of Salomon's Temple.jerusalem