Tens of Thousands Attend Priestly Blessing at Western Wall

Tens of thousands of worshippers gathered at the Western Wall Plaza in Jerusalem on Monday for the first Priestly Blessing ceremony of Sukkot Chol HaMoed. Hundreds of Kohanim (priests) raised their hands to bestow the traditional blessing upon the assembled crowd and the entire nation of Israel. This year, the ceremony is being held on two separate occasions during the intermediate days of the holiday to accommodate a larger public turnout. A second ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, October 20th.

To manage the large crowds, thousands of police officers, Border Police officers, and volunteers were deployed throughout the morning along traffic routes, in the Old City, and at the Western Wall Plaza. The Commissioner of Police, Yaakov Shabtai, toured the site with Jerusalem District Commander Doron Turgeman, Border Police Commander Amir Cohen, and other officers. They received an update on the forces' preparations for maintaining the safety of worshippers and public order.

According to data from the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, approximately two million worshippers visited the Western Wall during the month of Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance. Public transportation routes leading to the Western Wall and other central locations in Jerusalem have also been increased during Chol HaMoed.