On the eve of Yom Kippur, some 150,000 worshippers arrived Saturday night to take part in the central and final Selichot gathering, marking the conclusion of this year’s traditional Selichot prayers at the Western Wall plaza. The plaza, surrounding balconies, and alleys throughout the Old City basin were filled with worshippers from the early evening hours through the climax of the event.
The ceremony was attended by captivity survivor Eliya Cohen and his partner, Nova festival survivor Ziv Abud, as well as captivity survivors Rom Braslavski, Elkana Bohbot, and Ohad Ben Ami. Tens of thousands of attendees greeted them with tremendous emotion and appreciation.
The event was attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu; The Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi David Yosef; Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Kalman Meir Ber; Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, rabbi of the Western Wall and the holy sites; Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion; government ministers, public figures, and a large crowd.
During the gathering, the Prime Minister offered a prayer for the safety of IDF soldiers and security forces and for the safety of the State of Israel. Israel’s Chief Rabbis delivered moving prayers for the peace and unity of the Jewish people.
Rabbi Rabinowitz addressed the tens of thousands in attendance and said: “This month has once again proven that the Western Wall is the beating heart of the Jewish people. From every corner of the country and from every part of our nation, people came here in large numbers - members of every community, holding every opinion and worldview, those who wear a kippah and those who do not - and stood together as one, with one heart. Together, we prayed for the success of IDF soldiers, the recovery of the wounded, the comfort of bereaved families, and the peace and unity of the people of Israel. From the holiness and spiritual elevation of the Selichot gatherings, we enter the new year with great hope: a year of healing and comfort, victory and blessing, and above all - a year in which we remember that we are all one people, bound by a shared fate and united in a shared prayer."
Due to the huge crowds that filled the area, the ceremony was broadcast live on giant screens at the outskirts of the Western Wall plaza, on the walls of the Jaffa Gate, and at IDF Square, courtesy of the Jerusalem Municipality and the Jerusalem Development Authority, allowing the wider public to share in the atmosphere of the Selichot prayers.
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation said: “We conclude the month of mercy and Selichot with great satisfaction and emotion. During this period, nearly two million worshippers from across the country and from all segments of Israeli society visited the Western Wall plaza. Among them were captivity survivors, bereaved families, wounded and disabled IDF veterans, IDF soldiers, and members of the security forces, alongside countless members of the people of Israel, who came together in shared prayer for the sake of the people of Israel."
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation has also completed preparations for the Yom Kippur prayers that will take place at the Western Wall throughout the fast. Thousands of worshippers are expected to visit the site, with the largest crowds anticipated for the concluding Ne’ilah prayer and the blowing of the shofar that marks the end of the holy day.