The Selichot Guide in Jerusalem

We recite Selichot on the approach to the High Holy Days, asking for forgiveness for our sins. Those belonging to the Sephardi community begin saying Selichot on the first of the month of Elul (08/14/2026) until the eve of Yom Kippur (09/20/2026), while those in the Ashkenazi community say Selichot on the Saturday night of the week before Rosh Hashanah (09/05/2026). But either way, there is no argument that the atmosphere of Selichot is intensified and brings with it uniquely special experiences specifically in Jerusalem. 

Here you will find a comprehensive experience with a variety of events and tours taking place throughout the city's historic neighborhoods and the picturesque alleys of the Old City. Every year Jerusalem fills with holiness and spirituality during the Days of Selichot, and a real adventure awaits you. 

Before we dive into the recommendations, you are invited to also browse the full list of Selichot tours in Jerusalem >>

This year 19 central Selichot gatherings will take place at the Western Wall Plaza:

• Saturday night: 2 Elul | 08/15/2026
• Thursday: 7 Elul | 08/20/2026
• Saturday night: 9 Elul | 08/22/2026
• Thursday: 14 Elul | 08/27/2026
• Saturday night - 16 Elul | 08/29/2026
• Tuesday - 19 Elul | 09/01/2026
• Wednesday - 20 Elul | 09/02/2026
• Thursday - 21 Elul | 09/03/2026
• Saturday night - 23 Elul | 09/05/2026
• Sunday - 24 Elul | 09/06/2026
• Monday - 25 Elul | 09/07/2026
• Tuesday - 26 Elul | 09/08/2026
• Wednesday - 27 Elul | 09/09/2026
• Thursday - 28 Elul | 09/10/2026 - Central gathering on the eve of Rosh Hashanah
• Monday - 3 Tishrei, eve of the Fast of Gedalia | 09/14/2026
• Tuesday - 4 Tishrei | 09/15/2026
• Wednesday - 5 Tishrei | 09/16/2026
• Thursday - 6 Tishrei | 09/17/2026 - Central gathering

Continuing the moving tradition: together we open the gates of heaven with David D'Or's annual, talked-about and exhilarating Selichot show in Jerusalem.

As every year, we invite wonderful guests, some of the leading singers in Israel.
And this year we have the honor of hosting:

• Avitar Banai
• Amir Dadon
• Moshe Peretz
• Amir Benayoun

A wonderful show of music that touches all the senses.

For more details >>

Musical Selichot night tour on the Southern Ramparts Promenade in Jerusalem, with live melodies, stories, views of the city and a walk through the Jewish Quarter.

The tour includes guidance accompanied by musical segments and entry to the Ramparts Promenade.

For more details >>

Selichot from the depths: Guy and Roi Zu-Aretz in a Ladino and piyyut show at Zedekiah's Cave

Join a breathtaking musical and spiritual journey deep underground: brothers Guy and Roi Zu-Aretz come to the magical Zedekiah's Cave in Jerusalem for a moving and unforgettable Ladino and Selichot show. Beneath the ancient stone ceiling and within the unique acoustics of the mysterious cave, the piyyutim of the High Holy Days, beloved Ladino romanzas and sounds from the family home meet in contemporary arrangements that touch the heart directly. This is an authentic Jerusalem experience, enveloping the senses and uplifting the soul, connecting history, culture and spirit at one of the capital's most impressive sites.

For more details >>

You have probably been on Selichot tours in the Old City of Jerusalem, visited the Hurva Synagogue and said Selichot at the Western Wall. But have you ever toured the ancient synagogues and yeshivas of Jerusalem that give it its special character during the Days of Selichot?

Join tour guide Dudi Bar-Sela on a unique Selichot tour. Together you will visit hidden courtyards, the mythical Ohel Yitzhak Synagogue, breathtaking lookout points, the Western Wall Plaza and more. 

When? September 4-12

Did you love 'The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem'? Another Jerusalem Out of the Box tour with guide Dudi Bar Sela will take you deep into the famous (and beloved) Nachlaot neighborhood, following colorful stories about the dominant Sephardi families in the city's history. 

Join a tour full of synagogues, stories of noble families, cursed houses, old Spanish courtyards, forgotten Jerusalem loves, underground figures, kabbalists, piyyutim and songs in Hebrew and Ladino, and even a shofar blast...

When? September 4 - September 12, 18:00 - 20:00

Come discover the magic of Selichot on a Jerusalem night with a guide born and raised in Jerusalem who knows every stone and plot in the Old City of Jerusalem. With Tali Yehoshua it is more than a tour, but an opportunity to connect to the place, the spirituality and the holiness of the city, to get to know places only locals know, and to enjoy fascinating Jerusalem stories.

For more details >>

During the month of Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the communities of Israel had the custom of gathering together to recite a variety of biblical passages, prayers and piyyutim, which carry motifs of expressing regret, lament over the destruction, and prayer for redemption.

When? 

• Two tours will take place: on Thursday 09/26 and on Thursday 10/10.

Want to experience the Selichot atmosphere in Jerusalem at your own pace and also enjoy fascinating guidance full of information along the way? Join an independent guided tour by Bee Travel: a Selichot tour in the Old City of Jerusalem where we will visit the most moving lookouts in the city!

With your mobile phone we will set out on an independent tour that starts at Jaffa Gate, passes through lookouts, alleys and important sites such as King David's Tomb, synagogues in the Jewish Quarter, the ancient Cardo street, the market rooftops and other stunning locations. We will end the tour at the Western Wall with the recitation of Selichot in a holy atmosphere.