This Friday at the Kosel: Women in Talleisim and Tefillin, But No Sefer Torah

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women-kosel-smallThis coming Friday, members of the Women of the Wall organization will be able, for the first time, to “pray” at the Kosel plaza wearing a tallis and tefillin, and even to recite Kaddish and Kedushah, which they have been banned from doing until now.

The police have clarified, however, that they would not allow Sifrei Torah into the women’s section.

The attorney general and state prosecutor decided Monday not to petition the Supreme Court against the Yerushalayim District Court’s ruling, which says women may pray with talleisim and tefillin, and instead to emphasize a strict rather than ambiguous interpretation of the regulations defining the holy site.

The Knesset’s Committee on the Status of Women convened Tuesday for a special discussion initiated by Committee Chairwoman Aliza Lavi (Yesh Atid), in the presence of Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky, who presented his outline for solving the situation at the Western Wall.

The Jewish Agency chairman, who came up with the outline for equality at the Kosel, said he had submitted a request for building permits around the site as part of the efforts to implement the plan. He said a dialogue was being held with the archeologists, some of whom are against works in the area for religious reasons.

Another obstacle Sharansky pointed to was the Muslim Waqf’s objection, which has not been voiced so far but could be aroused by certain elements. He said he believed the government would fund the project on its own, but that the world Jewry would chip in if needed.

Sharansky declared, however, that the creation of an equal plaza could begin within a month and that the first stage could be completed within 10 months. He referred to the move as highly significant, saying it would provide a response to most of the existing problems. He added that the mentioned obstacles would not delay its implementation, but only the final stage whose implementation would take another two years.

At this stage, he told Ynet, the only thing delaying the start of the work was the need to wait for the building permits, which he said were expected to be received within a relatively short period of time.

The Jewish Agency chairman added that the Kosel was a unique site, raising national and religious interest worldwide, and that every Jew in Israel and abroad had a special connection to the place.

“There’s a natural interest for every Jew in the world to be able to come and express solidarity with his people and religion,” he said. “The solution will not be in court or in Knesset legislation, but in a very wide agreement between all parts of the Jewish people. We must find a solution for everyone.

Sharansky noted that the parties were still at odds over the balance between the current Western Wall plaza’s national and religious character (for example, in holding state ceremonies), and that he supported the Reform demand to add representatives to the foundation running the site.

“What will happen this Friday can contribute to the move and can destroy the move,” he said. “I appeal to both side. The government has made an unprecedented decision in regards to the Women of the Wall’s prayer, allowing them to pray their way. But even if they cannot do it with Torah scrolls, it’s very important to keep calm.”

The police representative clarified during the discussion that the police would not act against the District Court ruling on Friday. “We will not prevent the Women of the Wall from praying their way – at least in terms of a prayer shawl, phylacteries, Kaddish and Kedushah,” he said.

He clarified, however, that they won’t be allowed to bring in a Sefer Torah due to a regulation of which bans the entry of an external Sefer Torah.

Kosel Rov Rav  Shmuel Rabinowitz said during the discussion that no one, including himself, was satisfied with the suggested solution.

He added that he was uncertain that the outline could be fully implemented, but that it was necessary to reach a wide agreement and recognition by all sides of the Kosel as a uniting place – out of national responsibility.

“Without that, there is no use to start working and reach a political and possible diplomatic conflict. What for?”

He slammed the Women of the Wall, which he said were seeking to create a provocation, by quoting a statement made by the group’s chairwoman, Anat Hoffman, that she and her friends wanted “to see and be seen.” He said it proved that they were seeking to “injure Orthodox people’s heart.”

Knesset Member Yisroel Eichler (United Torah Judaism) attacked the women as well, saying that “they are getting money for it. They are not here to pray. They want to lead to bloodshed in this holy place… Will the Waqf will let them wear a tallison the Temple Mount?”

Read more at Ynet.

{Matzav.com Israel}


17 COMMENTS

  1. Why should the “Women Off the Wall” get the government to pay for a plaza “Equal” to that of the current plaza? They don’t need such a large space, and furthermore, let them pay for it themselves, if they really want it. Not that I approve of giving them a space, but I believe they’ll never be satisfied with the compromise, because what they want is equality at the present day Kotel (Even now they are allowed to pray at Robinson’s Arch, and they refuse). Give them another location, and soon enough, they’ll be gone for good. It’s called “reverse psychology.” Once and for all, call their bluff.

  2. . We now are helpless..in this liberalism and Chutzpah…the fence has fallen and we are unable to stop it! etc etc HASHEM YIRACHEM!!!!!:(

  3. “they are getting money for it. They are not here to pray. They want to lead to bloodshed in this holy place… Will the Waqf will let them wear a tallis on the Temple Mount?”

    Follow the money trail.

    They are receiving millions ! from anti semitic NGO (e.g the Ford Foundation until 2011,the
    E.U.).

    “ANTI ZIONIST“ NGO`S support these “zionists“ and well as most org. against religious judaism.
    ..

  4. Let all believing women come to the kotel on Friday and crowd them out! Unite in tefillah and don’t give anat and her crazy loons an inch of space to stand! It’s the only answer to their provocation. Fill the plaza with holy Jewish women davening and show everyone who are the TRUE women of the wall!

  5. What time do these women daven? Do they shlepp in and around 10 am with a coffee, taking their time then daven chick-chock and fold their tallesim while saying aleinu?

  6. There is much less of a halachic issue with a woman reading from a sefer Torah than with wearing tefillin. What I don’t understand is why the women there can’t recite kaddish; there is almost always a minyan at the kotel and women have been saying kaddish for hundreds of years.

  7. next in line will probably be (r”l)Jews for J
    they may even have a more legitimate request than the Reform,since many of THEM even have
    Jewish mothers and are therefore, Halachic Jews whereas many of the Reform are “goyim gemurim” since their mothers were not Jewish (a la patralineal descent or so-called ‘converts’)
    ??? ???? ???

  8. Let this be a warning to all parents on how/why to raise our daughters with proper self-respect and dignity as defined by halacha.
    These women have nothing more than severely misplaced mailed envy and shame of being born female. A true discgrace.

  9. #13, Anonymous: Good idea. The articles should have also publicized that the leader, Anat Hoffman, was interviewed by the BBC, where she admitted that her/their goal is to change Torah in Israel. In other words, to rid the State of religious/real Jews.

  10. Friday; let them stay home & bake challahs, for goodness sakes! There are so many mitzvos for woman especially on Friday ….No, they have to be different…boorish, classless women! Some people will do anything for attention…

  11. since this forum does not post freely what is in the heart of Jews participating in it. I shall bli neder no longer participate in it!

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