In honor of Jerusalem Day, and as they do every year, children from Ashkelon traveled to Jerusalem and placed prayer notes between the stones of the Western Wall.
Over the past month, the children took part in a special educational journey connecting them to Jerusalem and the Western Wall, organized by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation in cooperation with the Department for Jewish Culture of the Ashkelon Municipality.
The program began with a special classroom lesson in which the students learned about the history of Jerusalem and the Western Wall, and their significance to the Jewish people. In the days leading up to Jerusalem Day, the children participated in special quizzes and received notes on which they wrote their heartfelt wishes and personal prayers to be placed between the stones of the Western Wall. This year, in light of the security situation, the children especially emphasized prayers for the wellbeing and safety of IDF soldiers and members of the security forces.
Yesterday (Sunday), representatives of Ashkelon’s children from 27 schools across the city traveled to Jerusalem, bringing with them the prayer notes in specially designed boxes prepared by the students.
During a moving ceremony broadcast live from the Western Wall Plaza to the elementary schools in Ashkelon that participated in this meaningful journey of connection to Jerusalem, the students stood together in emotional song and, together with Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites, offered heartfelt prayers for the safety of IDF soldiers and security forces, for the healing of those wounded in body and spirit, and for the peace and security of Israel.
Afterward, accompanied by their educators and teachers, the students placed the thousands of prayer notes between the stones of the Western Wall and toured the Western Wall Tunnels sites.
