Tens of Thousands Gather at Western Wall for Final Selichot Prayers Before Yom Kippur

Tens of thousands of worshippers converged on the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Saturday night for the final Selichot (penitential prayers) service ahead of the Yom Kippur fast. The event marked the culmination of the month of Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, drawing the largest crowd of nearly 20 mass Selichot events held at the site recently.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the ceremony. Among the attendees were numerous former hostages, including Elkanah Bohbot and Ohad Ben Ami, who were held captive. The prayers were led by cantors and liturgical poets reciting piyyutim (liturgical poems) and the "Thirteen Attributes of Mercy," a passage recited to express God's forgiveness.

The Rabbi of the Western Wall led prayers for the safety of IDF soldiers and the security of Israel. The services are held just hours before the commencement of the solemn Yom Kippur fast, a period of atonement and reflection in Judaism.

Previous Selichot events at the Western Wall during this period saw participation from prominent figures such as President Isaac Herzog and other public officials, underscoring the significance of these pre-Yom Kippur observances.