Rabbis pray for Israel’s protection

JERUSALEM, Feb. 18 (JTA) — Some 50 rabbis circled Israel’s borders by plane Wednesday on a mission aimed at protecting the Jewish state from an Iraqi missile attack. During the hourlong flight, the rabbis blew a shofar and recited prayers. The plane circled Jerusalem seven times. Seven is a mystical number in the Jewish tradition. An organizer of the flight said a similar mission was undertaken prior to the 1991 Gulf War, when Saddam Hussein fired 39 Scud missiles at Israel.