Over Half a Million Pray at Western Wall Since Rosh Chodesh Elul
More than 50,000 people attended the central Selichot (penitential prayers) service at the Western Wall plaza overnight, bringing the total number of worshippers since the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul to over half a million. Due to unprecedented crowds, the service was broadcast live on large screens at the Old City walls and Jaffa Gate, allowing thousands who could not enter the plaza to participate in the prayers from the entrances to the Old City. This initiative was facilitated by Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, the Jerusalem Municipality, the Jerusalem Development Authority, and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.
The service was attended by Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, government ministers, CEO of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation Mordechai Soli Eliyav, terror survivor Yishai Bar-Cooperstein, and tens of thousands of worshippers. Participants offered fervent prayers for the safety of IDF soldiers and security forces, and for the unity and security of Israel.
The next central Selichot service is scheduled for Saturday night, September 5th, at 12:15 AM.
The same event, reported separately by each outlet. Open a few to compare what different newsrooms emphasize — and what they leave out.
Not the same event — other stories that share this one’s people, places, or theme: background, reactions, and follow-ups.