Passover: Thousands Of Jews Gather For Traditional Blessing In Jerusalem

Jews are currently observing the week-long holiday of Passover.

The customary priestly blessing prayer has drawn tens of thousands of people to Jerusalem, the holiest Jewish worship place.

Since King Solomon’s Temple formerly existed in the same location more than 2,500 years ago, the Cohen’s blessing, or “Birkat Cohanim,” has been a custom.

The blessing, which is given three times a year during the main Jewish holidays, is carried out by male Jews who can trace their ancestry back to the priestly caste.

Many of the nation’s leading rabbis conducted the prayer, together with relatives of other hostages still detained in Gaza and Eliya Cohen, a former captive who was freed from Gaza in February.

Following the customary blessing, the rabbis said a prayer for the 59 hostages who are currently being held captive in Gaza.

Many worshipers claimed that because of the ongoing war, which has lasted for more than 18 months, the prayer had particular significance this year.

“It’s hard for us to believe that we still have hostages that are not able to come home and come and be here and join us with this,” said Shandey Fuchs, who said she tries to attend the ceremony every year.

“I hope the prayer brings unity and lasting peace throughout Israel,” she continued.

At the Western Wall Plaza, religious men cover their heads with prayer shawls, forming a sea of white while the blessing is recited in Hebrew.

The wall is the final piece of the second Jewish Temple that was destroyed in the first century.

During the Passover holiday, one of the three Jewish holidays when ancient Jews customarily traveled to Jerusalem, nearly 200,000 people visited the site, according to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, which oversees it.