Thousands of Prayer Notes From 140 Countries Removed From Western Wall

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation recently conducted its traditional removal of prayer notes, or 'kvitelach,' that had been placed between the stones of the Western Wall over the past six months. The notes, numbering in the tens of thousands, were collected ahead of the High Holy Days and will be transferred for sacred burial, known as genizah.

Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, the Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites, oversaw the removal, which was performed with gloves and disposable wooden tools to maintain the sanctity of the site and the privacy of the messages. The collected notes will be buried along with worn-out holy books in a permanent genizah.

The foundation reported that hundreds of prayer notes are submitted daily through its website, in addition to the countless notes placed by visitors throughout the year. Notably, a significant number of recent submissions came from citizens of countries hostile to Israel, including Iran, Yemen, Iraq, Qatar, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sudan, Jordan, Egypt, and Kazakhstan. These notes often contained heartfelt prayers for peace, reconciliation, and improved relations between nations.

Over the past year, prayer notes from more than 140 countries and territories worldwide were sent via the foundation's website to be placed in the Western Wall. Alongside submissions from countries like the United States, Brazil, Germany, and Canada, notes also arrived from distant and surprising locations such as India, South Africa, Indonesia, Taiwan, Jamaica, Kenya, and Nigeria, reflecting a global connection to the holy site.