The Western Wall Heritage Foundation has commenced its preparations for the Selichot prayers at the Western Wall, which must be amended this year in light of the government's coronavirus restrictions. Selichot prayers this year will begin on Friday of this week for Jews from Sephardi communities.
Accordingly, a planning meeting took place with representatives from the Health Ministry and Israel Police in order to prepare for the expected influx of visitors wishing to come to the Western Wall during month of Selichot leading up to Rosh Hashanah.
The meeting was also attended by Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, the rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Sites, the director of the Heritage Foundation Mordechai Eliav, and other senior officials.
Representatives of the Health Ministry were impressed with operations at the Western Wall Plaza, which illustrate how a quasi-normal routine can be maintained in open areas.
It was decided at the meeting that during the first two weeks of the month of Elul (that begins on Friday) will be a test case for the Selichot services, giving an indication of what things might look like during the High Holidays the following month.
It was also decided that from tomorrow, the Western Wall Tunnels will be reopened to the public in accordance with the government's "purple tag" restrictions.