More than 50,000 people attended the central Selichot prayer service at the Western Wall on Thursday night.
The event was attended by Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, Rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Sites, government ministers and public figures, Mordechai (Suli) Eliav, CEO of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, former hostage Bar Kupershtein, and tens of thousands of worshippers.
Since the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul, more than half a million worshippers have participated in Selichot services held at the Western Wall plaza.
During the service, Rabbi Rabinovitch, together with the tens of thousands in attendance, offered heartfelt prayers for the well-being of IDF soldiers and security forces, as well as for Israel's unity and security.
Due to the unprecedented crowds that arrived at the Western Wall plaza overnight for the central Selichot service, and through the efforts of Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, in cooperation with the Jerusalem Municipality, the Jerusalem Development Authority and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, the live broadcast of the service was moved forward to the walls of the Old City and Jaffa Gate. This allowed thousands who were unable to enter the plaza to take part in the prayers from the entrances to the Old City.
The next central Selichot service will be held on Saturday night at 12:15 a.m., with tens of thousands of worshippers expected to attend.