Thousands gather at Western Wall for priestly blessing
Event is a reminder of the Jewish pilgrimages of temple times
Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
Thousands gathered at the Western Wall plaza in the Old City of Jerusalem on Thursday to celebrate the traditional priestly blessing performed during the Passover festival.
During the ceremony, hundreds of kohanim — descendants of the caste of priests in charge of ritual in the temple destroyed by Rome 2,000 years ago — blessed the crowds packed into the esplanade beside the Temple Mount.
-
- A young man looks down at the thousands gathered for the traditional priestly blessing at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, March 28, 2013. (photo credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
-
- A worshiper at the Western Wall during the priestly blessing event, March 28, 2013. (photo credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
-
- The priestly blessing is held at the Jewish holiday of Passover which commemorates the Israelites’ hasty departure from Egypt. Hundreds of priests took part in the event held on March 28, 2013. (photo credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
-
- Illustrative photo of Tallit-clad worshipers at prayer in front of the Western Wall (photo credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
The ceremony is performed every day in synagogues across Israel. But the blessing at the Western Wall draws massive crowds during the Passover and Sukkot holidays, hearkening back to the Jewish pilgrimages that would take place during those festivals in temple times.
The seven-day Passover festival began on Monday night.
The Times of Israel Community.