Question 1

When do Selichot begin in 2026?

Accepted Answer

Sephardic and Mizrahi communities begin at the start of the month of Elul — from 2 Elul, which fell on Shabbat this year, so the first night was Saturday night into Sunday, 16 August 2026, and Selichot have been said nightly since. Ashkenazi communities begin on the Saturday night before Rosh Hashana, which falls on the night of Saturday 5 to Sunday 6 September. Rosh Hashana 5787 begins on Saturday, 12 September 2026, and the season continues until the eve of Yom Kippur on 20 September.

Question 2

What time are Selichot said at the Western Wall?

Accepted Answer

Selichot are recited at the Western Wall plaza every night throughout the season, in most congregations after midnight and into the small hours. The peak falls on the nights before Rosh Hashana and during the Ten Days of Repentance, when the plaza fills with tens of thousands of people until dawn. The exact schedule of the main gatherings is published by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation close to the start of Elul and changes from night to night.

Question 3

Can I watch Selichot at the Western Wall live online?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Western Wall's official site runs permanent cameras streaming the prayer plaza live, around the clock and free of charge, so the Selichot gatherings can be watched from anywhere. On the peak nights the picture quality holds up — the plaza simply looks completely full.

Question 4

What is a Selichot tour and who is it for?

Accepted Answer

A guided night walk between synagogues and prayer gatherings in the Old City, Nachlaot, or the city center, weaving stories and history into the living Selichot experience — usually ending at the Western Wall. You don't need to be religious; it's a uniquely Jerusalem cultural experience. Tours typically set out between 22:00 and midnight and last two to three hours.

Question 5

Can I bring children to Selichot, and from what age?

Accepted Answer

Yes — on the right nights. The Elul nights before the Ashkenazi opening night (5 September) are far calmer than the peak, and that is the time to come with children: arrive at the Western Wall early, around 22:30–23:00, see the lit plaza and the prayer gatherings, and head home before tiredness wins. Among the official Western Wall tours, "Open the Gate for Us" is also offered in a family version. On the peak nights — the night before Rosh Hashana and the Ten Days of Repentance — the plaza is extremely crowded: leave the stroller at home and bring a carrier, or simply pick a quieter night instead.

Question 6

How can I experience Selichot for free, without a guided tour?

Accepted Answer

Just walk. Selichot at the Western Wall are open to everyone, every night, with no ticket and no registration, and KKL-JNF's "Hints of Elul" tours are free with advance registration. A self-guided route that works: start in Nachlaot around 22:30 — in the alleys between Bezalel Street and the Machane Yehuda market you can hear Selichot in different rites from neighboring synagogues — then walk down through Mamilla to Jaffa Gate and reach the Western Wall after midnight. If you only want the Wall itself, arrive around 23:30, before the plaza fills.

Question 7

What is the difference between Sephardic and Ashkenazi Selichot?

Accepted Answer

Beyond the starting date, they sound different. Mizrahi and Sephardic Selichot are sung as piyut in Middle Eastern maqam modes, usually with a cantor and choir, and in Jerusalem you can hear Moroccan, Aleppan, Yemenite and Babylonian versions, each in its own synagogue. The Ashkenazi rite is shorter and more focused on the petitionary texts. A good Selichot tour takes in several of them in one night.

Question 8

What time should I get to the Western Wall?

Accepted Answer

The plaza fills from the bottom upwards. Arrive around 23:30 and you will find a place low down; arrive at 00:30 on a busy night and you will be standing at the top with little to see. On the quieter nights of Elul you can come later and still be comfortable.

Question 9

Can I drive to Selichot at the Western Wall?

Accepted Answer

On the peak nights, better not to. Access to the Old City is very congested, the car parks near Jaffa Gate and Dung Gate close early, and the streets themselves become walking routes. The light rail, a night bus from the Central Station, or parking in Rehavia and walking about 25 minutes downhill are the workable options — and that walk is part of the experience.

Question 10

What should I wear, and how cold does it get?

Accepted Answer

The Western Wall plaza is a place of prayer: shoulders and knees covered, and a head covering for men (available at the entrance). And Jerusalem nights in Elul cool down sharply after midnight even when the day was hot — an extra layer is not a precaution, it is necessary.

Question 11

What is open in the city after Selichot?

Accepted Answer

Not much. Near Jaffa Gate, Bar Yanai runs until 03:00 and Bar HaSira until 04:00; if your night ends in Nachlaot, Cassette is open until 05:30. Kosher and open at that hour barely exists — Sela on Shammai Street runs until 01:30 on a Thursday, which is about the latest there is. If you need kosher, eat before rather than after.

Question 12

How many people come to Selichot at the Western Wall?

Accepted Answer

Far more than most visitors expect. According to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, the night before Rosh Hashana draws over 50,000 worshippers to the plaza, the main Selichot gathering around 35,000, and the eve of Yom Kippur has passed 100,000. Across Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance together the figure exceeds a million. What that means in practice: on the peak nights the plaza is full, and getting from the entrance to the Wall itself takes time.

Question 13

What is actually said during Selichot, and how is the service structured?

Accepted Answer

The heart of Selichot in every rite is the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy — the verse beginning "Adonai, Adonai, God merciful and gracious" — repeated between the piyutim. The Sephardic and Mizrahi rite opens with "Lecha Adonai HaTzedaka" and continues through a fixed sequence of piyutim for each night. The Ashkenazi rite opens with Ashrei and Half Kaddish, then piyutim, the Thirteen Attributes and Tachanun. The service itself usually runs thirty to forty-five minutes — which is roughly what to allow if you are coming to watch rather than to pray.

Question 14

What are the "first Selichot" and why is that night different?

Accepted Answer

The "first Selichot" is the opening night of the Ashkenazi season — the Saturday night before Rosh Hashana, this year 5 September 2026. They are traditionally recited around midnight, and it is the most crowded night of the Ashkenazi season: people who attend no other Selichot come to this one. In Sephardic and Mizrahi communities the season opened back on 16 August, and the early Elul nights are far calmer — the best chance to see Selichot at the Wall without the crush.

Question 15

How do you get to the Western Wall by public transport in the middle of the night?

Accepted Answer

The light rail is the simple answer: get off at IDF Square or Damascus Gate and walk about fifteen minutes through the Old City. On the nights of the central gatherings the light rail runs extended hours beyond its normal schedule — before Yom Kippur it has run until 02:00. The exact hours are announced ahead of each of those nights individually, so check on the day rather than relying on the regular timetable.

Selichot in Jerusalem 2026

The Western Wall's official Selichot tours

Selichot events already on the calendar

FAQ — Selichot in Jerusalem