[Video and photos below.] Tens of thousands of Yidden converged on Kever Rochel, in Bais Lechem, last night and today, some 3,600 years since Rochel Imeinu’s petirah. Vehicles were barred from the site for security and practical reasons, and special buses took people to and from the kever.
Mosdos Kever Rochel had prepared for up to 150,000 people to arrive to daven at the kever over 24 hours of Mammeh Rochel’s yahrtzeit.
Organizers of this year’s event called on Yidden to recite special tefillos for the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held hostage in Gaza for more than three years by terrorists.
“For generations, Rochel has davened for her children to return home safely, and we hope that this year our prayers will be answered and Gilad will return home to his family,” said Rabbi Yosef Schwinger, Director of Israel’s Holy Sites Authority.
Special tefillos also were said for former Chief Rabbi Rav Mordechai Eliyahu, who is in serious condition.
Mosdos Kever Rochel, which sponsors a year-round kollel at the kever, and provided free food and drinks to the over 100,000 visitors on the day of the yahrtzeit and hosted a special tefillah program, which offered people around the world the ability to watch or listen to a minyan reciting the 10 last kapitlach of Tehillim and to send a kvittel to the kever on the yahrtzeit. Rav Asher Weiss, Rosh Kollel Darchei Horaah and author of Minchas Asher, led the recital of the kappitlach Tehillim at the kever.
To enable people from around the world to be able to participate as if they were there, a live satellite from Kever Rochel streamed visual for 24 hours straight.
For a video of the visitors at Kever Rochel on the yahrtzeit, click below:
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For photos, see below:
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{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}
