Yom Kippur Prayers to Be Held at Hostages Square

Ahead of the upcoming Yom Kippur holiday, the Tzohar organization will hold its 29th annual open Yom Kippur prayer services across Israel. This initiative, in partnership with Mearim, will feature over 400 prayer locations nationwide, welcoming anyone wishing to participate, regardless of synagogue affiliation. The services aim to provide accessible and welcoming prayer spaces close to home for a diverse public, connecting them to the meaning of Yom Kippur.

In addition to the widespread services, Tzohar will host a special Yom Kippur prayer at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. This year's service at the square carries added significance following the return of hostages. Participants will gather to give thanks for those who returned, remember those who did not survive, and pray for the safety of soldiers, the recovery of the wounded, and national unity.

The special prayer at Hostages Square is organized in partnership with Orot Shaul Yeshiva, Mira Leshem, Merav Leshem-Gonen, and Yeshiva leaders Rabbi Itamar Eldar and Rabbi Tamir Granot.

Rabbi David Stav, Chairman of the Tzohar Rabbis Organization, stated, "Yom Kippur is a moment when the people of Israel gather, seeking closeness, connection, and atonement. For 29 years, we have worked to enable every person in Israel to find a place to pray and feel included." He emphasized that especially during election periods, when divisions seem to grow, Yom Kippur reminds Israelis of their shared bonds.

"This year, alongside hundreds of prayer services across the country, we will return to Hostages Square, the place where we prayed out of pain and concern, and this time we will gather there also out of gratitude for the return of the hostages, in memory of those who did not return alive, and in a shared prayer for the peace of our soldiers, the recovery of the wounded, and unity in the nation," Rabbi Stav added.