Gedolei Rabbonim Endorse Women for the Wall

The provocation and danger posed by the “Women of the Wall,” that group which descends upon the Western Wall each Rosh Chodesh with Talleisim, Tefillin and Sifrei Torah, led by Anat Hoffman, formerly of Meretz and now one of the heads of the Reform movement in Israel, has reached unprecedented levels. Not only could changes be made to the Holy Site at the Kotel, but Hoffman intends to leverage this issue to make far-reaching changes to the definition of Judaism in the Holy Land.

A new group of women, Women for the Wall, as reported previously on Matzav.com, call upon all women who value the Temple as a sacred site, and Jewish tradition as has been our practice for thousands of years, to come to the Kotel at 6:30 am on Rosh Chodesh, to daven and say Tehillim for Klal Yisrael and the great dangers to Torah and Judaism posed by these groups. In so doing, these Bnos Yisrael will arrive before the Women of the Wall, and show the Israeli government and world media that the vast majority of women who wish to pray at the Kotel oppose any changes.

Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Executive Vice President Emeritus of the National Council of Young Israel, approached HRH”G Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman shlit”a and HRH”G Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlit”a about this new initiative. Both Gedolim responded that it is important to do this; Rav Shteinman added that this is on the strict condition that there be no violence, ch”v.

Though launched only a few weeks ago, the Women for the Wall have already received the endorsements of other leading Rabbonim representing a wide swath of the Chareidi and Dati Leumi communities, including HRH”G Rav Aharon Feldman shlit”a of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel of America, and the Rishon LeTzion HRH”G Rav Shlomo Amar, shlit”a. Rav Yitzchak Berkovits, Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, Rav Zev Leff and Rav Dov Lior are among other Rabbonim shlit”a endorsing the project.

“We only want to pray with sincerity and quiet,” said Ronit Peskin, Director of Women for the Wall. “Women should pray and demonstrate by example, not respond to their shouting and provocative behavior.” She emphasized that each woman must come intending to create a Kiddush HaShem in every aspect of her behavior and Tefillah.

{Matzav.com Israel}