Israeli pop star Sarit Hadad may be a more common sight packing Tel Aviv’s largest stadiums, where her mix of traditional mizrahi music and Western pop has made her a household name for many years – but she was filling a slightly different venue on Sunday night.
Appearing at an event for women only in the ancient city of Hevron in Judea, Hadad gave a rousing performance of the selihot penitential prayers leading up to Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) for over 10,000 women.
The women turned out in huge numbers, brought to the ancient city in hundreds of organized buses from all the major cities in the coastal region of Israel.
Hadad headlined the selihot event for women that was broadcast live, and which began with prayers led by Rabbi Ya’akov Ades.
The Israeli star performed a wide variety of moving spiritual songs, and was accompanied on stage with TV star Eden Harel and Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi.
Following the selihot prayers, Hadad was invited for a special prayer at the Cave of Machpelah where the Jewish Patriarchs and Matriarchs are buried aside from Rachel.
She also visited the nearby grave of Avner Ben Ner, who was the commander of the army of Shaul (Saul), first king of Israel, and also stopped at the new museum in Hevron’s Beit Hadassah called “Touching Eternity.”
