Tens of thousands of people attend communal prayers nightly at the Western Wall during the High Holiday season, asking for Divine forgiveness.
The Kotel in the Old City of Jerusalem is especially busy in the days leading up to Rosh Hashana through Yom Kippur, when Jews pray for forgiveness for any sins committed during the past year.
Jewish prayer services are generally held during the day and early evening, but the selichot prayers, asking forgiveness during the High Holiday season, are different. They take place past midnight and in the wee hours of the morning.
Both Ashkenazim (Jews of German and eastern European background) and Sephardim (Jews of Spanish, Portuguese, North African and Middle Eastern descent) recite selichot, although there are differences in tradition. This particular video, made by photographer Eli Abdu ahead of Yom Kippur, depicts a sephardic service, which is evident in the word pronunciation and tune.
