As Israel’s Kosel Hamaaravi re-opened on Sunday following a four-week lockdown, mispallelim began flocking to the site to daven once again at the Makom Hamikdash and recite the special tefillos for Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan.

About 1,500 mispallelim were present at the vasikin minyan for Rosh Chodesh on Monday morning, divided into separate capsules.

The tefillah was made even more special by the fact that for the first time in years, the provocative members of the Women of the Wall were missing in action, choosing to carry out their monthly “Rosh Chodesh protest” on Zoom.

Instead, only Jews who were solely interested in davening were present, lending the tefillah a special peacefulness and achdus.

“The Kosel Heritage Foundation calls out to continue this path of a lull in protests at the Kosel plaza every Rosh Chodesh, leaving it as a site of unity, per the mesorah in Israel,” the foundation stated.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)