(21 Apr 2011) SHOTLIST
1. Wide of Jewish worshipers praying at Western Wall
2. Mid of Jewish worshipers
3. Jewish Rabbis praying at wall, hiding face at ceremony of priestly blessing
4. Mid of women holding prayer book during ceremony
5. Close of woman holding prayer book, praying
6. Zoom out from Orthodox Jew watching ceremony from window
7. Mid of Israeli security
8. Israeli security forces walking inside Western Wall area
9. Pan right of girls praying
10. Wide of ceremony
STORYLINE
Hundreds of Orthodox Jews gathered at Jerusalem's Wailing Wall, their holiest religious site, to receive a priestly blessing on Thursday.
The ''Birkat Cohanim", or Cohen's blessing, is a ritual dating back to the time over 2,500 years ago when King Solomon's Temple stood on the same site.
Archaeological evidence places the Wailing Wall at the western perimeter of the original temple.
The blessing is given on special occasions.
Thursday is one of the holy days of the Passover holiday and one of three times a year when religious Jews are expected to make a brief pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Cohen is a common family name among Jews and signifies descent from the priestly caste who led prayers and conducted sacrifices in the temple.
The blessing is recited in Hebrew while the faithful cover their heads with prayer shawls, averting their eyes from those receiving the blessing.
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