JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (REUTERS) - A holy cleanup was underway in Jerusalem on Sunday (Sept 17) as scores of worshippers' paper notes to God were cleaned out of the city's Western Wall.

The custom is to make room for new notes to be placed on the holy site, ahead of the Jewish New Year, which starts this coming Wednesday.

Rabbi of the Western Wall, Shmuel Rabinovitch, says the notes remain closed and are buried in dozens of bags on the Mount of Olives which overlook the site.

The tradition is carried out twice a year - once for New Year and a second time for Passover.