Thousands Gather at Western Wall for Priestly Blessing During Sukkot
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS French by baba
More than 50,000 Jewish faithful gathered at Jerusalem's Western Wall for the traditional Sukkot priestly blessing. An additional ceremony was held Tuesday to accommodate crowds, with significant medical support on site.
The story in 4 lines · by baba
- Over 50,000 worshippers attended the Sukkot priestly blessing at the Western Wall.
- The traditional Birkat Kohanim ceremony draws tens of thousands annually.
- An extra blessing was scheduled to reduce crowd density.
- Extensive medical teams were present to manage the large gathering.
Over 50,000 Jewish worshippers convened at the Western Wall plaza in Jerusalem's Old City on Monday morning for the traditional Birkat Kohanim, or priestly blessing, held during the Sukkot holiday. Thousands of attendees, many men draped in prayer shawls, participated in morning prayers and received the blessing from the Kohanim (priests). The four species used during Sukkot, lulav, etrog, myrtle, and willow, were also present during the services.
This collective Birkat Kohanim ceremony has been a major religious gathering at the Western Wall during Sukkot and Passover for over fifty years, drawing tens of thousands from across Israel. To manage the large crowds and accommodate more participants, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation organized an additional blessing ceremony for Tuesday morning.
Extensive medical resources were deployed in the Old City and around the Western Wall. Ambulances, intensive care units, medical motorcycles, and Magen David Adom first aid teams were mobilized to support the tens of thousands of participants.
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