The Western Wall Heritage Foundation, a governmental body responsible for the administration of all matters related to the Western Wall (Kotel), has announced it will gather 10 participants on Thursday for the Pitom Haketoret (incense) prayer, the minchah afternoon service, Tehilim (psalms) and a special prayer calling for an end to the coronavirus pandemic.The prayer will be broadcast live for the public to watch and to participate from home.The Western Wall Heritage Foundation emphasizes that the prayer event is being conducted in accordance with Health Ministry directives.
Present at the minyan will be Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites, as well as Yishai Rebo, a popular Israeli singer.
The foundation also announced that it will keep the Western Wall area open for individuals wishing to pray, despite strict regulations for social distancing, according to a press release. The announcement to keep the area open comes amid a growing number of cases of the coronavirus afflicting the country, rising to 529 people diagnosed, six of whom are in critical conditions, marking an increase of about 100 new cases in 24 hours.