JERUSALEM - ISRAEL'S two chief rabbis have called for a mass prayer on Thursday to seek divine intervention against the financial crisis that has dealt a harsh blow to donations-reliant religious institutions.

'The faithful are called to take part in special prayers in the synagogues on the occasion of the new Jewish lunar month to put an end to the financial crisis and the current period of drought,' a spokesman for the chief rabbinate said.

The crisis has led to a major drop in donations by philanthropists and businessmen to religious schools, 'many of which now risk being closed for lack of financing,' the official said.

The two chief rabbis, Yona Mezger and Shlomo Amar, said in a statement that the crisis also means 'many household heads are no longer able to feed their families.' 'Therefore we call on the public to pray one hour before the 'mimcha' (afternoon prayer) on Thursday in synagogues across the nation,' the rabbis said.

In a separate measure, the Bank of Israel on Monday slashed its key interest rate by half a percentage point to 2.5 per cent in a bid to avert recession. -- AFP