Thousands of prayers removed from Wailing Wall ahead of Passover

Jerusalem, Apr 2 (EFE).- Workers from the Wailing Wall Foundation on Sunday were removing hundreds of thousands of small pieces of paper bearing hand-written prayers that were placed by Jewish believers between the cracks of the sacred wall.

The prayers withdrawn on Sunday were accumulated over the last six months, as the wall is cleared of the papers twice a year, once before Pesach, or Passover – which begins on Wednesday – and once before Rosh Hashana, or the Jewish New Year, which will be celebrated in September.

In addition to the hundreds of thousands of worshippers and tourists who come to the wall to pray, the Wailing Wall Foundation allows petitions to be made through its website, which receives an average of 3,000 a month, which are placed between the stones of the wall by its workers.

The notes are removed according to Jewish religious guidelines, using disposable wooden gloves and utensils, to make room for new notes from tourists and visitors who will be arriving in Jerusalem over the coming months.

The notes were collected in sacks and will be buried along with worn-out holy books that are transferred to a designated space, an activity that was overseen by the Rabbi of the Wailing Wall and Holy Places, Shmuel Rabinowitz. EFE

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