Western Wall cleared of thousands of notes ahead of Rosh Hashanah

Workers remove handwritten prayer notes placed between the ancient stones of the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City, September 6, 2026. (Flash90)
Workers remove handwritten prayer notes placed between the ancient stones of the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City, September 6, 2026. (Flash90)

Thousands of notes and messages left by visitors from Israel and across the world in the past months are being removed from the Western Wall, days ahead of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, which begins Friday evening.

The pieces of paper will be transferred for ritual burial in a geniza site on the Mount of Olives. Jewish law requires that documents bearing the Hebrew name of God be disposed of by burying them in a designated area in a Jewish cemetery or synagogue.

The cracks between the wall’s stones are cleared every six months — ahead of Passover and Rosh Hashanah.

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