Western Wall Prepares for Sukkot with Double Priestly Blessing Ceremonies

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation has completed its preparations to host hundreds of thousands of visitors and worshippers during the Sukkot holiday. This follows a period in September and early October where approximately two million people visited the Western Wall plaza. To accommodate the expected crowds, the Foundation has erected three large, ornate sukkahs for worshippers to observe the mitzvah of dwelling in a sukkah and taking the Four Species. Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites, authored a detailed halachic article noting that the sukkah on the Strauss House balcony has also been made kosher, with special attention to its walls and roof. To satisfy all opinions, kosher roofing material was placed between the metal beams. This ruling was supported by several prominent rabbis, including Rabbi A. N. Nadvornik, Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, Rabbi Ovadia Frieid, and Rabbi Y. Schechter. The Sukkot Affairs Committee, led by Rabbi M. Andrillard, and Rabbi Y. Safri also inspected the sukkahs and affirmed their kosher status. For the first time, a small sukkah has been placed above the cold water taps at the entrance to the prayer plaza, allowing those who refrain from drinking water outside a sukkah to do so. Preparations are also underway for the traditional Priestly Blessing ceremonies, which will be held on two dates this year: Monday, October 9, and Thursday, October 12, with tens of thousands of worshippers expected. Morning prayers will begin at 8:45 AM, followed by the first Priestly Blessing at 9:15 AM. Additional prayers will commence at 10:15 AM, with the second Priestly Blessing at 10:30 AM. Attendees are expected to include survivors of Hamas captivity from Gaza, bereaved families, and IDF soldiers injured during the Swords of Iron War. Additionally, a "Greeting the Rabbi of the Foot of the Mountain" ceremony with the Chief Rabbis of Israel and the Rabbi of the Western Wall will take place after the first Priestly Blessing ceremony on Monday, where thousands of worshippers will greet the rabbis. The traditional "Second Hakafot" (circuiting with Torah scrolls) on the evening of Simchat Torah will commence at 10:00 PM in the Western Wall plaza, accompanied by an orchestra. Access to the Old City and the Western Wall will be restricted if overcrowding occurs, and the public is urged to follow the instructions of ushers for their safety. Updated information and guidelines should be monitored.