Do you have a special prayer this Holy Week – and do you wish you were in Israel so that you could bring your petition to the Western Wall?

The Israel Ministry of Tourism said Filipinos who are unable to visit Israel this Holy Week due to COVID-19 can make a virtual trip and “leave” an e-note at the pilgrimage site.

“With travel currently restricted, we want to make this unique Israeli experience accessible for the Filipinos this Holy Week, so we created a portal for them to send their personal notes,” said Sammy Yahia, Israel Ministry of Tourism Director for India and the Philippines.

The Israel Ministry of Tourism said the notes will be submitted through an online portal, then printed and placed between the cracks of the historic wall.

Prior to the pandemic, thousands visited the Western Wall every year, writing prayers or wishes on a piece of paper, and leaving them between the cracks of the wall.

It is believed that if you leave a note at the Western Wall, your message and wishes will be heard, as it is taken directly to God. 

To access the Western Wall e-note portal, you can visit https://israel.travel/ph/westernwall/. 

Over 34,100 Filipinos visited Israel in 2019, according to data from the Israel Ministry of Tourism. – Rappler.com

Jezreel Ines is a Rappler intern. He is a third year journalism student at the University of the Philippines Diliman.