Notes in the stones of the Western Wall.
Where it comes from
The Western Wall, the Kotel, is a remnant of the ancient retaining wall around the Temple Mount, where the Second Temple stood. Jewish tradition teaches that the Divine Presence has never left it, and that prayers from every corner of the world rise to Heaven through this place.
The custom of placing written prayers, kvitlach (Yiddish for “little notes”), in its cracks goes back at least to the 18th century; a well-known story links it to Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar, the Ohr HaChaim. Today, by most estimates, more than a million notes are placed every year.
How a note is written
There is no formula. People write in any language: a request, a thank-you, a single name. When praying for someone, it's customary to name them with their mother's name, as in Rachel bat Leah.
What happens to the notes
Written prayers are treated as sacred, so they are never thrown away. Twice a year, before Pesach and before Rosh Hashanah, the notes are gathered with wooden tools, without being read, and buried on the Mount of Olives.
Sending a note from afar
Sending a note with a messenger is a long-accepted practice. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation places notes sent online free of charge at thekotel.org. Petek is for those who want their words copied by hand, their loved ones' names said aloud at the Western Wall, and a video of the note going in.
Petek is an independent service and is not affiliated with the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, which accepts notes free of charge at thekotel.org.