Hundreds flocked to the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron Thursday night to say the Slichot prayers, thanks to the initiative of the World Zionist Organization (WZO).
The event was led by WZO chairman Yaakov Hagoel, along with former Kiryat Arba-Hebron Regional Council mayor Malachi Levinger, and saw the Israeli Jews tour Hebron, many of whom visited the city for the first time.
The visitors also said a special prayer for St.-Sgt. Barel Shmueli, a soldier in the IDF's Border Police who was shot and left in critical condition at the Gaza border earlier this week.
The trip to Hebron could be seen by many as controversial, as the city is located in the West Bank and has a large number of Palestinian residents. In particular, the Cave of the Patriarchs has been an issue of some contention recently, notably with Israel's plans to add an elevator and make it wheelchair accessible.
"The return of the Jewish people to Hebron is a miracle that happened thanks to the power of those Jews who did not give up on Hebron as well as the national spirit that the Zionist movement instilled in them," WZO Department of Hebrew and Culture head Ifat Ovadia-Luski said in a statement.
"Those who are voicing opposition to the event in Hebron should read the history's pages and learn about the roots of the connection between the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish community in Hebron."
The Slichot prayers are said every year ahead of the High Holy Days and are important prayers asking for forgiveness.
Also Thursday, many flocked to the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City for Slichot, though the worshipers abided by government COVID-19 regulations.
Worshipers were guided by police and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation on routes to and from the Western Wall to avoid overcrowding.