Beginning this erev Shabbos 29 Adar, a new public address system will announce the start of Shabbos in addition to the standard Yerushalayim siren. A few minutes before candle lighting mispallalim will hear ‘dear visitors, welcome to the Kosel. In a few minutes, Shabbos will begin. Please respect our heritage and refrain from taking photos or using a cellular telephone at the Kosel. Shabbat Shalom”.
The announcement will be made in Hebrew, English and Russian and it is intended for visitors who are unaware of Shabbos and its practices.
Officials at the Kosel Heritage Fund feel the effort must be made towards preserving kedushas Shabbos at the Kosel, emphasizing this must be accomplished in a peaceful and respectful fashion.
In addition to the announcement, Shabbos information sheets will be distributed to visitors at the holy site.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
The announcement will say “kosel” and “shabbos” but then will switch to “shabbat shalom?”
How many years ago did they put the Israel flag in the center of the kosel plaza?
Nice