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Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Roads blocked as mourners begin arriving ahead of mass funeral for Rabbi Gershon Edelstein
Thousands gather around the body of Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, head of the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, on May 30, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/FLASH90)
Masses of mourners are beginning to converge on Bnei Brak ahead of the funeral of ultra-Orthodox leader Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, who died this morning at age 100.
Hundreds of thousands of people from around the country are expected to attend, with proceedings slated to begin around 3:30 p.m. at the Ponevezh Yeshiva.
Major highways are set to be blocked off, including parts of Route 4, and heavy traffic congestion is expected throughout central Israel. No vehicles will be allowed to enter or exit Bnei Brak during the funeral proceedings.
Hundreds of police officers, Border Police officers and volunteers have been enlisted to help secure the operation, police say in a statement.
