A grand Selichot ceremony at the Western Wall: The world’s largest unity and memorial event will take place in a unique Selichot ceremony with the introduction of a Sefer Torah in memory of the fallen. This event will take place on October 7, with thousands in attendance and live broadcasting to hundreds of thousands in Israel and around the world.
Marking one year since the terrible massacre, a special and emotional event will be held at the Western Wall plaza to remember the events of October 7, the day of the Simchat Torah holiday. The event will occur during a large, central Selichot ceremony to honor the memory of those who were killed from October 7 until today.
The ceremony will include released hostages from Hamas captivity in Gaza, hostage families, bereaved families, IDF commanders and wounded soldiers from the “Operation Iron Swords” war, survivors of the Nuba event, displaced residents, and tens of thousands of participants.
The ceremony will begin with the prayer “Kel Maleh Rachamim” in memory of the fallen, followed by an emotional recitation of Kaddish by Be’eri Hershkowitz, the son of Yossi z”l, an IDF soldier who fell in battle in northern Gaza at the age of 44. Along with him, David, Eviatar, and Avinoam, the sons of Eitan Naaman z”l, who fell in battle at the onset of the war at the age of 45, will also recite Kaddish.
The crowd of thousands will offer heartfelt prayers for the well-being of IDF soldiers and security forces fighting on different fronts, for the recovery of the wounded in body and spirit, for the safe and swift return of hostages, and for peace and security in Israel.
During the Selichot ceremony, a unique Sefer Torah will be introduced, written over the past year in memory of the victims of the massacre and the war, thanks to the generous donation of Mr. Chaim Taieb.
This special Sefer Torah was written just days after the terrible events of October 7 and is dedicated to the memory of the fallen and victims. Over the past year, the Torah scroll has gone on a moving journey to the locations of the tragedy in southern Israel where the massacre occurred: the site of the Nuba festival, the communities surrounding Gaza, Ofakim, Netivot, Sderot, and it even participated in the March of the Living 2024 with the southern Israel delegation at the Auschwitz extermination camp and in the Death March to remember and commemorate “never again” to the murder of Jews. Among those who participated in writing the letters were former hostages who returned from captivity, hostage families, bereaved families, wounded soldiers, and survivors of the Nuba event.
