For the Return of the Hostages and the Well-being of the Soldiers

In honor of Jerusalem Day, as every year, the children of Ashkelon traveled to Jerusalem and placed prayer notes between the stones of the Western Wall.

Over the past month, the children attended preparatory lessons in their classrooms based on the curriculum provided by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation in collaboration with the Jewish Culture Department of Ashkelon. They learned about the history of the city of Jerusalem and its significance to the Jewish people and received special notes on which they wrote their heartfelt wishes and personal requests to be placed between the stones of the Wall. This year, due to the security situation, the children emphasized the return of the hostages and the safety of the soldiers in their notes.

This morning, representatives of Ashkelon’s children from 29 schools in Ashkelon traveled to Jerusalem, bringing with them the prayer notes in specially designed boxes prepared by the students.

In an emotional ceremony broadcast live from the Western Wall Plaza to the participating elementary schools in Ashkelon, the students stood for an emotional song and heartfelt prayer for the IDF soldiers and security forces, for the healing of the wounded in body and soul, and for the return of the hostages to their homes. Following this, they placed thousands of notes between the stones of the Wall, accompanied by their educators and teachers, and toured the sites of the Western Wall Tunnels.