Thousands of worshipers took part in a major Selichot service on Thursday night at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, joined by Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel Kalman Ber and Minister Orit Strook.
2+The “Sha’alim” network of Torah community seeds (Garinim Torani’im) organized the gathering. During the event, Chief Rabbi Ber delivered an address focused on strengthening ties to the Jewish people’s foundational roots and the profound significance of assembling specifically in the City of the Patriarchs.
In his remarks, Rabbi Ber invoked King David, whose initial reign began in Hebron, emphasizing that the path toward shaping the nation’s future runs directly through reconnection to the biblical Patriarchs, Matriarchs, and historical heritage.
2+“The merit of our ancestors is not merely historical lineage, but a spiritual genetic imprint embedded in every single Jew,” Rabbi Ber said. “Outwardly, a Jew may seem enveloped in a shell that appears distant or detached, but a little warmth, closeness, and love are all it takes to reveal the holy root from which they originate. The inner Jewish essence is never lost.”
Touching on recent national crises, the Chief Rabbi added: “Even through severe trials, we have witnessed how the inner Jewish spark bursts forth in moments of peril, when even those who seemed estranged cried out from the depths of their hearts, ‘Shema Yisrael.’ In our High Holiday prayers, we appeal to the Almighty and declare that the shell is merely external, while in our innermost will, we are all the children of our ancestors and we all belong to You.”
2+Minister Orit Strook, a decades-long resident of Hebron, also addressed the assembly, speaking on the vital imperative of dedicated public service on behalf of the People of Israel and the Land of Israel.