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JERUSALEM – On Tuesday, thousands of people gathered at the most sacred ruins of Judaism in Jerusalem to participate in the traditional priest’s blessing prayer.
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“Birkat Cohanim” or Cohen’s Blesting is a ritual that dates back over 2500 years when King Solomon’s temple stood in the same place. Blessings are performed by male Jews who can trace their bloodlines back to the caste of the priests and are performed three times a year during the main holidays of Judaism. Jews are currently observing a week-long Passover holiday.
The prayer is led by many of the country’s top rabbi and Eliya Cohen, who was released from Gaza in February, and relatives of other hostages are still in Gaza. After the traditional blessing, the rabbi prayed for the 59 hostages still held in the captivity in Gaza.
Many worshippers say that this year’s prayers have special significance given the ongoing war that has lasted for more than 18 months. “It’s hard to believe that we still have hostages who can’t come home and join us,” said Shandey Fuchs, adding that she hopes prayer will bring unity and lasting peace across Israel.
The Hebrew narrates blessings, while religious people cover their heads with prayer shawls, creating a white ocean in the West Wall Square. The prayer area paved in front of the wall is the last part of the second Jewish temple destroyed in the first century. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation, which runs the location, said more than 200,000 people visited the location during the Passover holiday, one of three Jewish holidays that ancient Jews traditionally vassed to Jerusalem.
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