Western Wall Cleared of Thousands of Notes Ahead of Rosh Hashanah

Thousands of notes and messages left by visitors from Israel and around the world are being removed from the cracks of the Western Wall ahead of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, which begins Friday evening. The papers, placed between the stones by worshippers in recent months, will be ritually buried in a genizah on the Mount of Olives after their removal. Jewish tradition dictates that documents containing God's name in Hebrew should not be discarded but rather buried in a designated place, such as a Jewish cemetery or synagogue. This cleaning of the Western Wall is a regular practice, occurring twice a year before the major holidays of Passover and Rosh Hashanah. The process ensures the wall is cleared of accumulated notes, allowing visitors to place new prayers and requests between the ancient stones for the upcoming Jewish new year.