The sounds of music have been booming from mammoth speakers Monday and Tuesday at the Cave of the Patriarchs, as top singing stars from the Chassidic world offer their very best to celebrants in Hevron, one of the four holy cities in the Land of Israel.
Art exhibits, special activities for children and tours of sacred sites are just a few of the holiday events that were planned for visitors to the city whose name has spread to the beautiful hills within which it is nestled.
Organizers of the Simchat Beit HaShoevah celebrations said security forces have extended themselves to ensure the safety of those who attend the concerts. Possibly 20,000 people or more are expected to participate, visiting the Cave of the Patriarchs and dropping in at other sites in the city.
Simchat Beit HaSho'evah (Water-Drawing Celebrations) events echo the nightly evening-to-dawn festivities that were held in the Holy Temple in preparation for the drawing of water for use in the festival service.
Modern-day celebrations are held in Jewish communities throughout the world until the wee hours on each night during the intermediate days of the holiday, but nowhere are they more joyous than in Hevron.
Join Arutz-7 as we broadcast live from the heart of the action both Monday and Tuesday, bringing our readership together with Jews in Israel as they celebrate the holiday of Sukkot in Hevron.