JERUSALEM – The traditional priestly blessing of the Passover holiday occurred at the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City on Sunday morning with only 10 worshipers present, including U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman, in keeping with the coronavirus restrictions.
On the second intermediate day of the festivals of Passover and Sukkot, tens of thousands of Jewish pilgrims usually make their way to the Western Wall to attend the blessings led by the priests.
This year, only a quorum of 10 men – the required amount by Jewish law – were allowed at the ceremony and kept their distances between them.
The rest of the world was invited to watch via a live video feed broadcast by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.
“We invite the thousands of participants who come every year and the general public to join the prayers from home,” the foundation said in a statement.
Friedman, a Kohen – or Jewish priest, participated in the service after receiving permission from both the Israeli and U.S. governments.
Friedman said his decision to participate was to express his hope to that the world will succeed in overcoming this crisis.
“Last year I was among 100,000; this year, unfortunately, far less. I will pray that the world is spared further illness or sorrow from COVID-19 or otherwise,” he wrote on Twitter.
At the end of the service, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, the chief rabbi of the Western Wall, added a prayer for Americans suffering from COVID-19.