The mass Bircas Kohanim at the Kosel on Chol Hamoed, which is attended every year by tens of thousands of people, took place with just a minyan of mispallelim this year on Sunday, the third day of Chol Hamoed in Israel.
The Kosel is the only exception to Israel’s ban on minyan. A minyan of men, while adhering to social distancing regulations, is allowed to daven by the Kosel three times a day.
US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, participated in this year’s minimal Birchas Kohanim.
“Today I will be one of just 10 worshippers attending the ‘Priestly Blessing’ ceremony at the Western Wall,” Friedman wrote on Twitter. “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.”
Another unusual Birkas Kohanim, which takes place every day in Israel, was filmed on Wednesday, Erev Pesach, during a “porches’ minyan” in Jerusalem:
ברכת כהנים במרפסות
עכשיו בירושלים. pic.twitter.com/emvqSwYPPG— ינון עידן (@yinon_idan) April 8, 2020
ברכת כהנים השנה ושנה שעברה, עצוב. pic.twitter.com/DoD7Q94GCB
— אריאל אלחרר (@ariel_elharar_) April 12, 2020
מי היה מאמין. מעמד 'ברכת כהנים' המסורתית ברחבת הכותל המערבי מוקדם יותר הבוקר. pic.twitter.com/H8OtWSKX9x
— יעקב מלמד (@yaakov_melamed) April 12, 2020
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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