At the conclusion of the Shavuot holiday on Monday, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation reported one of the most significant events Jerusalem has seen in recent years: more than 100,000 people visited the Western Wall plaza during the holiday, continuing a 58-year tradition since the site’s liberation.
A Peak at Night and at Dawn
The highlight of the holiday came at sunrise, when more than 20,000 worshipers filled the plaza for a powerful Vatikin(early morning) prayer, the recitation of Akdamut (introduction to the assigned Torah reading), and heartfelt singing. Following the service, a large Kiddusha Rabbah (The Great Kiddush) took place with the participation of Chabad Kollel, during which tens of thousands of personal kiddush kits were distributed to the worshipers.
Throughout the night, thousands arrived to participate in Tikkun Leil Shavuot (all-night Torah study) and the reading of Tehillim- Psalms . Among them were hundreds of students taking part in a special program run by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation. Refreshment stations were set up along access routes to the Wall, with the support of the Ministry for Jerusalem Affairs and other partners.
Torah Songs as the Holiday Ends
Even after the holiday ended, crowds continued to arrive at the plaza, where circles of singing and dancing carried on with the participation of rabbis, Hasidic leaders, and yeshiva heads. Thousands more visited the Tomb of King David, whose traditional date of passing falls on Shavuot.
