Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Jerusalem Affairs Minister Rafi Peretz and Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel will take part in the Hanukkah candle lighting. The event will take place according to Health Ministry guidelines.
Tours of hanukkiot in Jerusalem will also take place throughout the holiday, both in person according to Health Ministry guidelines and online. More details are available at the Western Wall's website or by calling *5958.It is still unclear if the government will impose new restrictions and what those restrictions could be, so tours and other activities during the holiday may be affected. The government is set to convene on Thursday to discuss tightening restrictions over the Hanukkah holiday.
The lighting of the Hanukkah candles by the Western Wall will be livestreamed Sunday through Thursday on the Western Wall's website, YouTube channel, Facebook and other media platforms.
The bronze hanukkiah used at the Western Wall is two meters high and about two meters wide, weighs about a ton and took about seven months to make. The candles will use olive oil and will be in special wind and rain resistant vessels in order to stay lit throughout the night.
Following are the candle lighting times at the Western Wall throughout Hanukkah:
- First candle: Thursday, 4:45 p.m.
- Second candle: Friday, 3:30 p.m.
- Third candle: Saturday, 7 p.m.
- Fourth candle: Sunday, 5 p.m.
- Fifth candle: Monday, 5 p.m.
- Sixth candle: Tuesday, 5 p.m.
- Seventh candle: Wednesday, 5 p.m.
- Eighth candle: Thursday, 5 p.m.