150,000 Attend Final Selichot Prayers at Western Wall Before Yom Kippur

Approximately 150,000 worshippers gathered at the Western Wall for the final Selichot (penitential prayers) service before Yom Kippur, marking a record attendance for the month of Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance. The event, broadcast live by ynet, began with a ritual for annulling vows, followed by communal prayers led by cantors and liturgical poets. During the prayers, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a prayer for the safety of IDF soldiers and wished the crowd a good year.

The Selichot tradition, observed by Sephardic Jews from Rosh Chodesh Elul and Ashkenazi Jews from the Saturday before Rosh Hashanah, typically takes place after midnight or early morning, considered auspicious times for prayer. The Western Wall hosted nearly 20 mass Selichot events throughout the period, culminating in this final, largest gathering.

Attendees included President Isaac Herzog and other public figures. Notably, former hostages released from captivity, for whom prayers were offered in previous years, also attended. Among them were Noa Argamani, Itai Regev, Omer Shem Tov, Bar Kupershtein, Eli Cohen, and his wife Ziv.

Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites, addressed the crowd, stating, "This month has proven once again that the Western Wall is the beating heart of the Jewish people." He emphasized the unity of attendees from all backgrounds and expressed hope for a year of healing, comfort, victory, and blessing, urging remembrance of shared destiny.

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation reported that nearly two million worshippers visited the Western Wall during the entire month of Elul and the High Holidays, including survivors of captivity, bereaved families, wounded soldiers, and security forces, all united in prayer for the people of Israel.