Record 600,000 Attend Open Prayer Services on Yom Kippur

Chabad Lubavitch's "Open Synagogues" initiative saw unprecedented attendance on Yom Kippur, with over 600,000 participants across Israel. The organization reported that approximately 1,400 Chabad emissaries operated around 1,000 permanent Chabad centers and hundreds of temporary prayer locations nationwide.

The initiative, which aims to remove barriers to prayer for all Jews, provided accessible and welcoming spaces without requiring pre-registration or payment. Many locations were filled beyond capacity, with volunteers adding seating during services to accommodate the large crowds.

Peak moments occurred during the "Kol Nidre" and "Neilah" prayers, with simultaneous "Shema Yisrael" recitations and shofar blasts echoing from hundreds of public venues, including sports halls, community centers, and large tents. The program provided prayer books, kippahs, and informational leaflets, with emissaries offering explanations and leading communal singing.

This year, a digital map, dubbed "Yom Kippur Waze," was launched to help individuals easily locate the nearest prayer minyan. Some locations also offered services tailored for foreign language speakers, including Russian, English, and French.

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Aharonov, chairman of Chabad Youth, expressed satisfaction with the event, stating, "The goal was not to leave any Jew without a place to pray on the holy day. The heart of Israel is awake, and the excitement on the ground was immense." He added that emissaries are already preparing for Sukkot holiday activities.