A Pesach Tradition of Clearing Thousands of Kvitlach from the Kotel (Photos)

By BJLife Israel Newsroom
Posted on 04/16/24

Jerusalem, Israel - Apr. 16, 2024  - As is customary each year before the Passover holiday at the Western Wall - thousands of Kvitlach that were placed between the stones in the past six months were collected and transferred to a designated genizah (storage area for worn-out sacred texts)

In honor of the Passover holiday, this morning (Tuesday), the Western Wall Heritage Foundation conducted the traditional clearing of thousands of prayer Kvitlach that were placed between the stones of the Western Wall over the past six months.

The clearing was carried out according to halachic (Jewish law) guidelines using gloves and disposable wooden tools. The purpose of the clearing is to make space for new Kvitlach from visitors expected to arrive at the Western Wall in the coming months, as well as prayer Kvitlach sent from various countries around the world. The Kvitlach were collected in bags and will be buried together with worn-out sacred books in a designated genizah. Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, the rabbi of the Western Wall and the holy sites, personally oversees the clearing each year, offering prayers for unity among the Jewish people and for the thousands who have placed their prayers.

The custom of placing Kvitlach in the Western Wall has been documented for nearly three hundred years by the Ohr Hachaim. Prayer Kvitlach are placed throughout the length of the Western Wall and can also be found between the stones exposed in the Western Wall Tunnels.

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation Kvitlach that an average of 3,000 Kvitlach are sent each month through the Foundation's website in addition to the hundreds of thousands of Kvitlach personally placed by visitors. In the past year, about a hundred thousand Kvitlach were sent via the Foundation's website from various countries around the world, including the United States, Slovakia, Brazil, South America, Colombia, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, England, Russia, Venezuela, Ukraine, India, Mexico, Argentina, Taiwan, and more.

Kvitlach are sent to the Western Wall throughout the year, each note with its own story. In the past six months, since October 7th, in addition to the thousands of visitors who came to the Western Wall and placed Kvitlach, many Kvitlach were also sent via the website from Israel and around the world by IDF soldiers, the wounded, families of hostages, and more.

It should be noted that despite a decrease in the number of tourists since the Sukkot holiday, the number of Kvitlach placed by Israelis and sent from various locations around the country has increased.