Clearing Western Wall cracks ahead of Jewish New Year

Gallery: Ahead of expected increase in traffic, notes with prayers of visitors from around the world are removed from cracks in the wall.

Prayers are removed from the Western Wall 311 (photo credit: Courtesy: Western Wall Rabbi)
Prayers are removed from the Western Wall 311
(photo credit: Courtesy: Western Wall Rabbi)
Notes and prayers inserted into cracks in the Western Wall were removed ahead of the High Holidays this week. Prayers on small notes are traditionally stuck into the wall by visitors, Jewish and non-Jewish.

Recently, the Western Wall Rabbi began accepting notes sent via a special website, which are printed and inserted into the wall. Others send prayers via fax, which are treated the same way.Employees of the Western Wall Authority and of Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovich worked to remove the notes ahead of an expected increase in visitors to the wall during the holidays.