Jerusalem Prayer Compass

1. 01Allow location, or enter it manuallyTap the button and allow your device to share its location. You can also type in coordinates manually if you'd rather not share location.
2. 02Get your directionThe tool shows the bearing to Jerusalem in degrees and as a compass direction (e.g. northeast), plus the distance in kilometers.
3. 03Turn your deviceOn a device with a compass sensor, use the live compass to see exactly when you're facing the right direction.

• Praying somewhere unfamiliarYou're in a hotel, traveling, or at someone else's home, and need to know which way to face for prayer.
• Setting up a prayer space or synagoguePlanning a fixed prayer space and need the exact bearing to Jerusalem — not just a general "east."
• A quick check without a physical compassNot every device has a compass sensor. The tool always shows the bearing in degrees too, an answer you can use with any regular compass.

• New YorkFrom Manhattan, the bearing to Jerusalem is about 54°, i.e. northeast, roughly 9,170 km away.
• LondonFrom London, the bearing to Jerusalem is about 114°, i.e. east-southeast, roughly 3,610 km away.
• Los AngelesFrom Los Angeles, the bearing to Jerusalem is about 24°, i.e. northeast, roughly 12,190 km away.

• It isn't always exactly "east"The true bearing to Jerusalem is the shortest great-circle direction over the surface of the Earth, so it isn't always close to geographic east — especially from places far from Israel, like the Americas.
• The live compass needs a separate permissionOn some devices, especially iPhone, motion-sensor access needs a separate permission from location. If the live compass doesn't appear, check your browser permissions.
• The target is the Western Wall / Temple MountThe bearing is calculated to the Western Wall specifically, not to Jerusalem's city center in general — a small difference, but a more precise one.

The tool computes an "initial bearing" — the direction you'd set out in from your location to reach Jerusalem by the shortest path over the curved surface of the Earth, not a straight line on a flat map. It's the same kind of calculation used in aviation navigation and GPS systems. The target point is the Western Wall / Temple Mount, following the Talmudic guidance that someone within Jerusalem faces the Temple Mount itself.

Many assume the direction of prayer is always east, which holds mainly for places roughly west of Jerusalem at a similar latitude, like parts of Europe. From other regions — the Americas or Australia, for example — the precise geographic bearing to Jerusalem can be northeast, southeast, or even west, because of the curvature of the Earth.

The live compass uses your device's magnetometer sensor, which isn't present or accurate on every device and can be thrown off by nearby metal. The bearing in degrees the tool shows is always precise and works even without a sensor, using any ordinary compass or compass app.

Your location is used only in your browser to calculate the bearing — it's never sent to a server or stored. If you choose to enter coordinates manually instead of sharing location, those also stay on your device only.

Do I need to share my location to use this?

No. You can enter coordinates (latitude and longitude) manually if you know them or look them up on a map, without granting the browser access to your device's location.

Why is the direction different from what I expected?

The bearing is calculated by the shortest path over the curved surface of the Earth, not a straight line on a flat map — so it can differ from intuition, especially from places far from Israel.

Is this precise enough for a halachic ruling?

The tool gives a bearing based on precise geometric calculation, but for halachic matters — like fixing the orientation of a permanent synagogue — it's best to verify with a rabbi or an authoritative source.

The live compass isn't working — what now?

Not every device has a compass sensor, and some require a separate permission. Even without the live compass, the tool shows the precise bearing in degrees and as a compass direction, which you can use with any ordinary compass.

Is my location saved or sent to a server?

No. All calculation happens in your browser only. Your location is never sent to a server and never stored, here or anywhere else.