100,000 Attend Selichot Prayers at Western Wall, Linked to Hostages Square

Approximately 100,000 people gathered at Jerusalem's Western Wall on Thursday night for the Selichot prayers, a penitential service held in the lead-up to Yom Kippur. The ceremony was simultaneously broadcast to Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where eight former hostages released from Gaza were present. This dual-location event aimed to connect two sites that have become highly symbolic for Israelis since the October 7th attacks.

At the Western Wall, tens of thousands of worshippers recited traditional Selichot prayers. In Tel Aviv, several hundred people watched the broadcast from Hostages Square. The Rabbi of the Western Wall, Shmuel Rabinowitz, addressed the congregation, reflecting on the past two years of war and the plight of the hostages.

He emphasized the special significance of this year's ceremony, particularly following a period where prayers at Hostages Square were focused on the return of those held captive. Among the former hostages present in Tel Aviv were Rom Braslavski and Bar Kupershtein. Earlier that day, they had participated in a prayer and thanksgiving ceremony at Hostages Square, sharing their experiences of captivity and their return to life in Israel.