לוחLuach

Mizrach · Boston, MA

Which way is mizrach in Boston, MA?

Face 56° from true north northeast, which is 34° north of due east. The Temple Mount is 8,864 km (5,508 miles) away.

NESW56° from north
Bearing
56°
Compass point
NE
Distance
5,508 mi
8,864 km
Off due east
34° north of due east

Use your phone as the compass

Tap “Use live compass” and turn until the arrow points straight up. It starts from Boston, MA and switches to your exact position if you allow location access.

NESW
✡ Jerusalem

56° NE

Direction to the Temple Mount, Jerusalem from Boston, MA · 8,864 km / 5,508 mi

If the live compass isn’t available, hold a magnetic compass and face 56° (NE).

Questions

Which way is mizrach in Boston, MA?

From Boston, MA, the direction to Jerusalem is 56° measured clockwise from true north — northeast, or 34° north of due east. That is the great-circle direction to the Temple Mount, 8,864 km (5,508 miles) away.

Is mizrach exactly east in Boston, MA?

Not exactly. The shortest path over the globe from Boston, MA runs 34° north of due east, not along due east. The difference is why a compass bearing and a flat map can disagree about which way Jerusalem is.

How far is Boston, MA from Jerusalem?

8,864 kilometres (5,508 miles) in a straight line to the Temple Mount.

Why do synagogues sometimes face plain east?

Many communities orient the mizrach wall to approximate east rather than to an exact great-circle bearing, and practice varies. The figure above is the geometric direction to the Temple Mount; follow your community’s custom.