Prayers at the Kotel in Jerusalem

I took this photo of the Kotel, or the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. It's the only remaining wall of the Temple Mount and was built at the end of the Second Temple period at around 19 BCE. I was able to get this angle by standing on a temporary ramp that leads up to the Al Aqsa Mosque, which sits above the Western Wall. This was my second trip to Jerusalem, and each time I visit I am overtaken by the religious energy and passion of the Orthodox men dancing and the women solemnly praying. Upon closer examination of the stones that make up the wall, you see tiny folded notes and prayers lodged into the nooks and crannies left by thousands of visitors. Many Jews believe that this is the most direct way to send prayers to God because it is the closest religious site to the Holy of Holies.