Preparations are underway at the Western Wall for hundreds of thousands of people to visit during the upcoming Sukkot holiday (Feast of Tabernacles).
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation is building sukkahs (tabernacles) for the benefit of the visitors, and in one of the sukkahs, the Four Species will be placed, for the benefit of anyone who wishes to use them.
The traditional Priestly Blessing ceremony will take place on Wednesday, October 12, the third day of Sukkot and the second intermediate day of the holiday.
The traditional event, held twice a year during the intermediate days of Sukkot and Pesach (Passover), was initiated 52 years ago and is organized by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation. During the event, hundreds of kohanim (men from the priestly tribe) recite the Priestly Blessing for the masses congregated at the Western Wall.
The schedule for the event is as follows:
8:45 - Shacharit (the morning prayer) begins
9:30 - the Priestly Blessing for the morning prayer
10:15 - the Musaf prayer begins
10:30 - the Priestly Blessing for the Musaf prayer
A Torah scroll dedication ceremony and a "simchat beit hashoe'iva" celebration will take place on Wednesday, October 12, at 6:00p.m. The event will end at 8:15p.m.
This event is held once in seven years, following the end of the shemitta (sabbatical) year, in memory of the event which was held while the Holy Temple stood. Three Torah scrolls will be dedicated at the event, which will be attended by Israel's President, its chief rabbis and former chief rabbis, the Western Wall rabbi, and other rabbis and Torah sages.
Cantors Yisrael Adler and Moshe Habusha, singer Nemouel Harosh, and the Neranena choir, will perform at the event.
There will also be a round of "second hakafot" at the Western Wall, following the end of the Simchat Torah holiday. This will take place on Monday, October 17, starting at 10:00p.m.
"Second hakafot" are a tradition that is meant to show identification with the Jews who live abroad.
Entry to Jerusalem's Old City and the Western Wall will be closed if traffic becomes too heavy. The public is asked to follow instructions by the stewards and follow announcements and the updates to instructions.
The Old City will be closed to private vehicles over the entire Sukkot holiday, and will be accessible by public transportation only.