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(TIME) July 25, 2008 — Following Jewish tradition, Obama donned a yarmulke and went to the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site, where shortly before dawn on Thursday he stuffed his prayer into a crevass between the giant white stones, hewn over 2,000 years ago. It is considered taboo to read the prayers.
But after Obama and his entourage left the sacred site, an orthodox seminary student went to the Wall, fished out Obama’s personal note and delivered it to Maariv newspaper …
This image released by the Israeli newspaper Maariv
today and attributed to Barack Obama (AP photo)
“Lord, protect my family and me,” Obama wrote. “Forgive me my sins and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will.”
The newspaper’s decision to publish Obama’s private words was “an outrage”, said Rabbbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, supervisor of the Western Wall. “It damages the personal, deep part of every one of us that we keep to ourselves,” the rabbi told Army Radio.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
