The Chief Rabbinate initiated, and a number of organizations - including the Families Forum - joined a special prayer rally being held at 15:30 at the Western wall, with the participation of the Chief Rabbis and family members of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
The chief Rabbis, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef and Rabbi David Lau, called on the general public to participate in the prayer rally, noting that this is a difficult time that requires many prayers. "An evil enemy that isn’t deterred by any means, seeks to destroy and kill all Jews, from young to old, children and women. In this war we have many victims and everyone's heart cries for the fallen."
"We pray for God's mercy on Klal Yisrael, for the healing of the wounded bodies and souls, for the success of the IDF soldiers and the security forces, for the safe return of the hostages, in anticipation of God's merciful redemption soon," the rabbis added and directed a call to Rabbis around the country not to send representatives to the Western wall but to hold a special prayer in their yeshivas.
The rabbis of “Torat Haaretz Hatova” issued a public call to come and take part in the prayer rally. Many educational networks have announced that they will join the prayer, as well as the Bnei Akiva and Ezra youth movements.
The Tzohar rabbinic organization joined the prayer. The chairman of the organization, Rabbi David Stav, said: "We will all join the prayer rally that will seek to break open the gates of Heaven and bring home all our hostages and captives who are in the hands of the murderous and vile terrorist organization that threatens to destroy us."
In addition, another event will be held at 20:00 in Tel Aviv's “Hostages Square”, where singers Idan Raichel and Aaron Razel, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Rabbi Itamar Eldar and Mira Leshem will take part.