In Jerusalem for mass prayer for rain

Hundreds of Jews gathered on November 29 - the 22nd day of the Jewish month of Kislev in the year 5771 - at the Wailing Wall for a large prayer rally for rain, following a day of fast called upon by Chief Rabbis of Israel.

Services at the Kotel - the square created in front of the Wailing Wall - were lead by Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar, Chief Rabbi of Sephardi Jews, and HaRishon LeTzion, Chief Rabbi of Sephardi Jews and President of The Great Rabbinical Court.

Prayers were done and silver horns were sounded in front of hundreds of Jewish believers and tourists came to see the Western Wall of the ancient Salomon Temple.

The day before Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar sent a plea to the worldwide Jewish community to join the fast and prayer. He wrote: "We must gather and shout out to the Creator of the universe to have mercy and compassion on his people Israel, and His mercies are abundant".

According to statistical data provided by the Israel Meteorological Service to date there has only been 5mm of rainfall on a nationwide average, which is only about 7 percent of the rainfall last year at this time and only 1percent of the multi-year seasonal average.

Religious and secular were at least for once united to pray to God for the rain that still has not come yet. “Israel is a special country that depends on water more than the others, rain is essential. We are at the end of November and still no rain, the Galilee Sea - the lake situated in the north of the country - is slowly drying up giving problems to the touristic, agricultural and fishing industrial sectors”, said Aviv Mordechai, one of the Jewish Orthodox participants interviewed at the end of the event.

In spite of the prayers forecasters are predicting at least another ten dry days and temperatures between 26°C and 29°C.

Article published by Digital Journal on December 1st 2010.