At a vast historic gathering last week, tefillah was front and center
ASdusk settled over Yerushalayim last Thursday, the city’s entrance resounded with the roar of a vast minyan. The hundreds of thousands gathered around Rechov Yirmiyahu, and countless others who joined from afar, experienced moments of rare elevation that won’t be quickly forgotten.
Long minutes of Tehillim led by gedolim of every type gave way to Selichos highlights. Yisrael Nosha B’Hashem took hearts back to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Adon Haselichot drew litvish avreichim in along with their Sephardi counterparts. Ponevezhers stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Lubavitchers. Belzer chassidim shared little Tehillim printouts with a smattering of Mercaz Harav talmidim.
As the shofar sounded and Hashem Hu Ha’Elokim echoed across the boulevards, for a few minutes Ne’ilah was in the air once again.
When the organizers of last week’s anti-draft protest announced that the event would be a prayer gathering, the pundits rushed to contextualize and the cynics to explain why it was all a power play.
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