Priestly Blessing Held at Western Wall with Hostage Survivors

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Monday for the traditional Priestly Blessing ceremony, held during the intermediate days of the Sukkot holiday. The event, which includes the Chief Rabbis, the Rabbi of the Western Wall, public figures, and cantors, will take place again on Thursday. Amidst the ongoing war, survivors of captivity, bereaved families, and IDF casualties were invited to participate. A special prayer was recited for the safety of IDF soldiers and security forces, for the recovery of the wounded, and for the unity of Israel.

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation, responsible for organizing the event, prepared for the arrival of hundreds of thousands of visitors expected throughout the holiday. The mass Priestly Blessing tradition at the Western Wall began in 1970 during the War of Attrition. It was revived by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Gafner, who sought to restore the biblical and midrashic blessing's spiritual efficacy to the Western Wall plaza. Since then, the ceremony has been held twice a year, during Sukkot and Passover, becoming a major event on Israel's religious and national calendar.