Last winter was particularly harsh, with little rainfall. The regular water shortage in the country was exacerbated by the minimal rainfall last winter.
This years rainfall, so far, is well above average. The rivers are flowing, the Kinneret is rising, and all is good again.
Last winter, Minister of Agriculture Uri Ariel called for a prayer service because of the shortage. Ariel came under heavy criticism for trying to solve the problem, as a minister, by calling on people to pray.
Now that we are having a winter blessed with plentiful rain, Minister Uri Ariel is now calling for a mass prayer service at the Kotel to express our gratitude to Hashem for the rain. The mass prayer service will be held at the Kotel on Tu B'Shvat. That is, unless the Beis Hamikdash gets built first, though I am not sure why we no longer need to say thank you for the rain if the Beis Hamikdash gets built.
I don't have the necessary connections up there to know if it is last year's service that helped with this year's rains, but it can't hurt to say thank you...
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