More than 100,000 worshippers gathered overnight for the final and central Selichot prayer event, marking the conclusion of this year’s traditional Selichot services at the Western Wall plaza. The event began in the early evening hours on Tuesday and reached its peak at the main gathering in the Western Wall plaza, surrounding balconies, and nearby alleys, encompassing the entire Old City.
Among the participants were former captives Eliya Cohen and his girlfriend Ziv Abud, Omer Shem Tov, Romi Gonen, and Yelena Troufanov, who were warmly received with great excitement and appreciation by the tens of thousands in attendance. The Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, delivered a special prayer in the presence of the former captives, calling for the return of the hostages - the living to their families and those deceased for a proper Jewish burial.
The event was attended by prominent figures, including the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef; the current Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi David Yosef; the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Rabbi Kalman Meir Ber; Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz; Rabbi Yaakov Shapira, head of Mercaz Harav Yeshiva; Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion; and several government ministers.
During the event, the tens of thousands of worshippers, joined by the rabbis, offered heartfelt prayers for the safety of IDF soldiers and security forces, the recovery of the wounded, and the peace and security of Israel.
Due to the massive crowd that filled the Western Wall plaza, the event was broadcast live on large screens at the edges of the plaza, on the walls of Jaffa Gate at the entrance to the Old City, and at IDF Square, enabling the vast crowd to connect with the Selichot atmosphere. This was facilitated by the Jerusalem Municipality and the Jerusalem Development Authority.