Over 50,000 people from all walks of life participated in the Birkas Kohanim at the Kosel Hamaaravi on Monday morning, the second day of Chol Hamoed Sukkos.
Tens of thousands participated in Birkat Kohanim (Priestly Blessing) and in the Shacharit and Musaf prayers of Sukkot held this morning at the Kosel Hamaaravi in Yerushalayim.
In keeping with tradition during the intermediate days of the festival, this year marks the 53rd year of Birkat Kohanim at the Kosel and organized for years by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation during the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkos. Hundreds of Kohanim bless the large congregation that streams to the Western Wall Plaza with the special priestly blessing from the Torah.
The event took place in the presence of Israel’s Chief Rabbis, Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef and Rabbi David Lau; Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Sites; Mayor of Jerusalem Moshe Lion, rabbis, ministers, public figures, hundreds of Kohanim, and thousands of worshippers.
The Rabbi of the Western Wall, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, said to the tens of thousands of participants in the Birkat Kohanim service: “This year, we received more than anything the blessing of ‘And He shall give you peace.’ This is a prayer that we all carry in our hearts to our Father in Heaven, asking Him to remove baseless hatred from us and to spread the sukkah of peace over us.”
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