Overview

• About 40,000 worshippers attended the second Birkat Kohanim on Sunday at the Western Wall Plaza, according to organizers.
• Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz led a special prayer for the hostages and urged continued prayers for IDF soldiers and the wounded.
• Crowds recited a thanksgiving prayer tied to organizers’ expectation of an imminent release, a hope not independently confirmed in the reports.
• Survivors of captivity and families of the hostages took part in the ceremonies, adding a personal dimension to the prayers.
• A Hakafot Shniyot celebration is scheduled for October 14 with singer Eli Cohen, Yoni Eliav’s orchestra, and the Narnana Choir, with plans to dedicate it to psalms and thanksgiving for the expected release.