One year after the horrific massacre and the Hamas attack on Israel on the morning of Simchat Torah, October 7th, the national day of mourning is being observed at the Western Wall Plaza.
The national flag at the center of the plaza has been lowered to half-mast. Throughout the day, worshippers at the Western Wall will study chapters of the Mishnah in memory of the murdered and fallen martyrs of the Iron Swords war. They will also recite chapters of Psalms, praying and hoping for the quick return of the hostages, the safety and well-being of IDF soldiers and security forces fighting on various fronts, comfort for the bereaved families and communities, the return of evacuees to their homes, the healing of the wounded, and peace and security for Israel.
God, full of compassion, dwelling on high, grant proper rest under the shelter of the Divine Presence, in the heights of the holy, pure, and heroic ones who shine like the brightness of the firmament, to the souls of the holy martyrs, Israeli citizens—men, women, and children—who were killed, murdered, burned, and massacred by Hamas terrorists, and who sanctified God’s name in the cruel attack on the settlements of the State of Israel. And to the souls of the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, the police officers of Israel, and the members of the security forces who sacrificed their lives for the sanctity of God’s name and fell heroically in the battles to defend the people and the land. In their merit, we pray for the elevation of their souls; may their resting place be in the Garden of Eden. May the Merciful One shelter them in the shadow of His wings for eternity and bind their souls in the bond of life. The Lord is their heritage; may they rest in peace on their resting places, and may they rise for their fate at the end of days. And let us say, Amen.
