Western Wall hosts Birkat Kohanim on 28 September
Published on 09/27/2026 at 13:22 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂĽller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The Western Wall in Jerusalem will host Birkat Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing, on 28 September 2026 and 1 October 2026 during Sukkot (HaKotel HaMa’aravi). The Western Wall Heritage Foundation has published the programme, which also includes a further ceremony on 3 October 2026.
Birkat Kohanim returns to the Western Wall on two dates
The two Birkat Kohanim ceremonies are scheduled for Monday 28 September 2026 and Thursday 1 October 2026. The official programme lists Shacharit at 8.45am, the first blessing at 9.30am, Mussaf at 10.15am and a second blessing at 10.30am.
The ceremonies will take place in the presence of Israel’s Chief Rabbis and the Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites. The programme also lists Hakbalat P’nei Rabo immediately after the 28 September prayer service. The official Sukkot programme says all the events will be broadcast live on the website of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.
The Western Wall plaza links the ceremony to Jerusalem’s past
The Western Wall stands in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, where the visible masonry forms part of the retaining wall of the Second Temple platform. The Jerusalem Foundation describes the visible section as a portion of a retaining wall dating from the Second Temple period, which ended in 70 CE.
The site is more than the open prayer plaza. The Western Wall Tunnels extend below the Old City beside buried sections of the structure, connecting the public ceremony with archaeological remains that are not visible from the surface. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation, a governmental body established in 1988, is responsible for preserving and developing the Wall and its tunnels, according to its historical overview.
That relationship gives the October programme a clear setting: the blessings take place beside a surviving part of the Second Temple retaining works, while the tunnels preserve the wider archaeological context beneath the surrounding streets.
Second Hakafot follows on 3 October 2026
The same programme lists Second Hakafot for Saturday night 3 October 2026, beginning at 10pm. The event is scheduled for the Western Wall after Simchat Torah and will include music and approximately 100 Torah scrolls.
Visiting Western Wall: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Birkat Kohanim is scheduled at the Western Wall on 28 September 2026 and 1 October 2026. The listed prayer and blessing times are 8.45am, 9.30am, 10.15am and 10.30am.
- The Western Wall Heritage Foundation says the Western Wall Plaza and Western Wall Tunnels remain open, while visitors must follow Home Front Command and security instructions. Protected spaces are available on site if an advance siren warning is issued.
- The venue is in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, near the Western Wall Plaza. The official programme also refers to the Western Wall Tunnels as part of the visitor site.
- Israel’s official language is Hebrew, and its currency is the Israeli new shekel. Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Western Wall
When does Birkat Kohanim take place at the Western Wall?
The ceremonies are scheduled for 28 September 2026 and 1 October 2026, during Sukkot in Jerusalem.
Where is the Western Wall and how do you get there?
The Western Wall is in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, beside the Western Wall Plaza. The associated tunnels are entered from the plaza area.
What is the Western Wall?
It is a surviving section of the retaining wall of the Second Temple platform, with further sections extending below the Old City in the Western Wall Tunnels.
