On the occasion of Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, and marking nine months since the brutal surprise attack by Hamas terrorists on October 7 during Simchat Torah, the families of the hostages gathered for a moving prayer at the Western Wall for the return of their loved ones.
The prayer was held in the presence of the rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, and minister of construction and housing, Rabbi Yitzchak Goldknopf. During the event, the families recited Psalms and a special prayer for the safe and prompt return of the hostages to their homes.
Among the participants were Yelena Trofanov and her mother, who were held captive by Hamas for 54 days. Her husband Vitaly was brutally murdered, and her son Sasha is still a hostage in Gaza.
Our brothers, the entire house of Israel, who are in distress and captivity, whether on sea or on land, may the Omnipresent have mercy on them and bring them from distress to relief, from darkness to light, and from subjugation to redemption, now, swiftly, and soon, and let us say Amen.
