Ahead of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, hundreds of people gathered at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. The shofar, an ancient musical instrument made of ram's horn, was blown; people read selichot (prayers of repentance); and the ritual cleaning of the prayer notes from the cracks of the Western Wall took place. Photos by Marc Israel Sellem Men reading selichot -- Jewish penitential poems and prayers said leading up to the High Holidays -- at the Western Wall before Rosh Hashana Women reading selichot at the Western Wall before Rosh Hashana Blowing the shofar at the Western Wall Notes placed in the Western Wall prior to Rosh Hashana cleaning Man prays while another cleans out Western Wall notes Cleaning out notes from the Western Wall Man blowing the shofar at the Western Wall before Rosh Hashana Jews clearing out notes from the Western Wall Western Wall notes on the ground after cleaning Jewish workers clearing out notes from the Western Wall prior to Rosh Hashana
Blowing the shofar at the Western Wall before Rosh Hashana(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)Updated: