Extensive renovation work is underway at the Me’aras HaMachpeilah in Chevron, where construction has begun on a permanent roof over the central courtyard that serves as the primary tefillah area for Yidden. The long-awaited project will replace the temporary coverings that have been used for years and will also include air conditioning.

Because of the construction, access to the site is currently limited. Beginning Thursday, the Fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz, visitors will be able to enter through the Hall of the Covenant (Ulam HaBrisos). Tefillah will also be permitted at the Seventh Step area and in the Me’aras HaMachpeilah gardens. Other sections of the complex will remain closed while roofing, renovation, and climate-control work continues.

The project marks a major improvement for the thousands who daven at the site. For years, while the Hall of Yitzchak—used for Muslim prayer—has been protected by a permanent stone roof, the main Jewish davening area in the central courtyard has remained under temporary coverings, leaving worshippers exposed to rain and cold during the winter and intense heat during the summer.

Plans to permanently roof the courtyard have been under discussion for more than two decades. Initial proposals were advanced during the tenure of former Chevron local council head Avraham Ben Yosef, working together with members of the Chevron Council. Portions of the project were later funded through a donation from philanthropist Yitzchak Recanati, but planning, bureaucratic, and political obstacles delayed construction for many years.

Approximately two years ago, local officials and the Me’aras HaMachpeilah administration attempted to install a simpler temporary roof during an overnight operation. That structure was removed shortly afterward following objections and political pressure, leading authorities to pursue a fully approved and regulated construction process instead.

The current project is being carried out in coordination with Israel’s security establishment, the Civil Administration, construction authorities, the Chevron Local Council, and the Me’aras HaMachpeilah administration. The goal is to transform the courtyard into a permanent, fully equipped prayer hall that will be roofed, illuminated, and air-conditioned.

Site administrators emphasized that construction is still ongoing and advised visitors to check in advance regarding which sections of the complex are open before traveling to the site.

Once completed, the renovated courtyard will become the permanent central prayer hall for Jewish worshippers at Me’aras HaMachpeilah, one of the holiest and most sensitive religious sites in Eretz Yisroel.