PHOTOS: Kvitlach Being Removed From The Kosel Ahead Of Pesach

(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

Knesset elections are behind us and it is time to focus on Pesach. At the Kosel, the team was out on Wednesday morning to remove the kvitlach ahead of yomtov as well as to inspect the integrity of the stones, to prevent any from falling.

The kvitlach are removed twice annually, before Pesach and Rosh Hashanah. The kvitlach are placed in genizah. Millions of these kvitlach are removed annually, from mispallalim from Eretz Yisrael and around the world. Many are sent by fax and by mail. According to officials, 672,210 kvitlach were sent to the Kosel to date via the Kosel Heritage Foundation website. Many others are faxed and sent by mail.

The work on Wednesday morning was supervised by rav of the Kosel, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz Shlita, and it is explained that wooden sticks and not metallic are used to avoid damaging the stones.

In order to safeguard the privacy of the kvitlach, each area is closed off while they are working to avoid others coming and possibly reading the kvitlach. The operation is carried out with close supervision of the employees to ensure that discretion is maintained.

Rabbi Rabinowitz recites a tefilla when the kvitlach are buried asking that the requests of mispallalim are fulfilled.