Thousands Attend Sukkot Priestly Blessing at Western Wall
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
Tens of thousands of people attended the traditional Priestly Blessing ceremony at the Western Wall in Jerusalem during Sukkot. The event featured prayers for soldiers and included emotional moments with a former hostage and the father of a fallen soldier.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Thousands attended the Sukkot Priestly Blessing at the Western Wall.
- Defense Minister Israel Katz participated and prayed for IDF soldiers.
- Former hostage Bar Kupferstein offered prayers of thanksgiving.
- An additional blessing ceremony is scheduled for Thursday.
- Tickets for the Western Wall Tunnels are sold out.
Tens of thousands of worshippers gathered at the Western Wall in Jerusalem for the traditional Priestly Blessing ceremony during the Sukkot holiday. This ancient ritual, which has been performed for 56 years, involves hundreds of Kohanim (priests) reciting a special blessing over the assembled crowd. The event, organized by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, also included morning and additional prayers.
Notable attendees included Israel's Chief Rabbis, the Rabbi of the Western Wall, Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. During the ceremony, Defense Minister Katz recited the priestly blessing and offered a prayer for the safety and success of IDF soldiers and security forces.
Emotional moments marked the occasion, with former hostage Bar Kupferstein joining the prayers of thanksgiving for the return of all hostages. The father of Sergeant Major Elichai Eitan Weider, who fell in battle two years ago, recited Kaddish in memory of his son.
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation announced an additional Priestly Blessing ceremony will be held on Thursday to accommodate those who could not attend the first. The foundation also apologized for the unavailability of tickets for the Western Wall Tunnels due to high demand, with limited spots remaining for the new "Gate of Heaven" exhibit.
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