Against the backdrop of Operation Roaring Lion, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation carried out its annual pre-Passover removal of prayer notes from the stones of the Western Wall.
Tens of thousands of prayer notes that had been placed between the stones over the past six months were collected on Sunday and placed into sacks ahead of their transfer for special religious burial (geniza).
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz at the ceremony of removing the notes from the Western Wall
(Video: The Western Wall Heritage Foundation)
This year, notes sent through the foundation’s website by citizens of countries considered hostile to Israel — or those with complex relations with the country — stood out in an unusual way. Among them were messages from Iran, Yemen, Iraq, Qatar, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sudan, Jordan and Egypt, among others. According to the foundation, these notes contained moving requests for peace, reconciliation and the building of ties between peoples and nations.
The removal of the notes was overseen by the Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, together with Mordechai (Suli) Eliav, director-general of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.
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Removing the notes from between the stones of the Western Wall
(Photo: The Western Wall Heritage Foundation)
The two offered a special prayer for the success of the campaign against Israel’s enemies, led by the Iranian regime, for the safety of IDF soldiers and security forces fighting on various fronts — in the air, at sea and on land — for the safety of U.S. soldiers standing alongside Israel in confronting regional threats, and for peace and security for the people and the State of Israel.
“In these days, when the people of Israel are facing challenges and seeking divine mercy, we see how thousands of prayers continue to arrive at the stones of the Western Wall from across Israel and around the world,” the Western Wall Heritage Foundation said in a statement. “Alongside prayers for the peace of the State of Israel, the safety of soldiers and the salvation of the entire nation, prayers are also arriving from many places — even from citizens of hostile countries asking for peace between peoples and nations. We also pray for the safety of U.S. soldiers standing alongside the State of Israel in confronting these threats, and we hope for days of peace, security and brotherhood among all peoples.”
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The removed notes are placed into sacks ahead of their transfer for special religious burial (geniza)
(Photo: The Western Wall Heritage Foundation)
“We moved the schedule slightly earlier this year to take advantage of the time when, sadly, the Western Wall plaza is empty of worshippers, so the work could be carried out in the best possible way,” Rabinowitz said. “Of course, we pray for all those who placed notes here that the Holy One, blessed be He, will fulfill their requests. In these notes there are the tears of mothers for their children serving in the military, the tears of the wounded and the tears of people who want to thank God for the miracles that happened to them, especially hostages who were released from captivity. There are also notes here from commanders in the U.S. Army who are fighting alongside our soldiers at this very moment. It is very moving to see such an enormous number of notes.”
The removal process was carried out using gloves and disposable wooden tools in order to preserve the sanctity of the site and the privacy of the notes’ contents.
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation noted that hundreds of notes are sent each day through its website, in addition to the hundreds of thousands of notes personally placed between the stones each year by worshippers and visitors.
First published: 00:50, 03.09.26