In Our Own Voices

Women dancing at the Western Wall

Ta’ali: Rosh Hodesh Av Reflections / Rabbi Tamara Miller

By: Rabbi Tamara Miller, Skilled Volunteers

Accept the prayer of your people as lovingly as it is offered. Restore worship to your sanctuary. -Rosh Chodesh Amidah

Ta’ali . . . al tif’achadi . . . zeh rak avanim. “Go up. Do not be afraid. They are only stones.” The young woman reached for my hand. I ascended the natural bimah at Robinson’s Arch.

The Women Of the Wall Rosh Chodesh Av morning prayer service began at 7:00 a.m. One-hundred women created a semi-circle in the back of the women’s section at the Western Wall. Our female voices added a sweet soprano sound to the kotel plaza.

Nevertheless, we were under special security. A young policewoman scanned and recorded the proceedings, while another policeman weaved in and out of the crowd, admonishing several young Israeli women to adjust their tallitot: One of our women was detained last month because she wore a masculine type prayer shawl in a “manly” way.

One woman, holding her prayer shawl under her arm, stood on the side.

“Would you like to put on your tallit?”

“No,“ she replied. “I don’t want to be arrested before Shabbat. I wouldn’t get home in time.”

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SPEAKING OUT: Progress, Not Perfection

SPEAKING OUT: Progress, Not Perfection

By Sara Heckelman, Administrator
Congregation Beth Israel Judea, San Francisco
July/August 2012 Bulletin

As many of you know, my parents Rabbi Joe and Tzipi Heckelman z’l founded the Conservative (Masorti) synagogue in Tsfat, one of Israel’s holy cities.  They spent 26 years building and serving a community of native Israelis and immigrants. My father, a learned and respected rabbi here in the US, was never recognized by the State of Israel as a rabbi, could not perform a wedding recognized by the State, and never received a shekel of support from the government.  This has been the situation for every non-Orthodox rabbi in Israel since the creation of the State.On May 29 of this year, progress was made.  Following a seven-year court battle by Rabbi Miri Gold (a woman) of the Reform Movement, a ruling was issued by the High Court of Justice to pay the wages of non-Orthodox rabbis serving in regional councils, just as it does for Orthodox rabbis. 

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Privileged to support WOW, by Mark S. Anshan

Privileged to support WOW, by Mark S. Anshan

Rosh Hodesh Tamuz
Rosh Hodesh Tamuz

On June 21 I had the privilege of being with the Women Of the Wall as they held scharit services at the Wall for Rosh Hodesh. Each month women from all denominations come together to pray. This is an important organization that is fighting for religious freedom and equality in Israel. The rabbi in charge of the holy places and the Wall has continued to assert directives that make it difficult, if not impossible, for women to pray freely at the Wall as they choose. The latest conflicts involve the wearing of tallit and carrying the Torah.

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Reflections on Rosh Hodesh Tamuz, by cantorial student Jen Rueben

Reflections on Rosh Hodesh Tamuz, by cantorial student Jen Rueben

Rosh Hodesh Tamuz services
Rosh Hodesh Tamuz services at the Western Wall

I had the incredible privilege of praying with the Women of the Wall for their Rosh Chodesh Tamuz service this past week. What an experience to usher in my year of cantorial study in Israel!

The morning started out peacefully. We watched the sun rise over the Kotel as we prayed. I was touched that some men stood behind the divider in the back and prayed with us. A few dirty looks were sent our way and a couple of people plugged their ears as they passed to keep from hearing our singing. Despite this, for the first time, I was able to pray at the Kotel with my tallit wrapping my shoulders. I was able to add my voice to the prayers of my heart in this place that is so holy to my people.

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The Sivan Situation: by WOW Intern Gaby Mervis

Anat argues with a policeman

Last month, I based my blog post on a list of observations.  After this past Rosh Hodesh service, it seems only fitting to structure this post with a list of confrontations.  While I have only been to three WOW services, last week’s service was the most exciting (for better or for worse).  Being the photographer, I was consistently running from one situation to the next.  It felt like the altercations never stopped.

We started the morning with a plan.  Last month, we were told that one person could only bring in two or three siddurim, prayer books.  As our supporters use our siddurim to follow the service, this was unacceptable. Generally we have people bringing five siddurim each.  Anat decided to walk through security with 15 siddurim right in her arms, not even in a bag, in order to challenge this new arbitrary restriction.  We were ready for the security to challenge this move, but oddly enough, with cameras rolling, there seemed to be no problem bringing in all 15 of the siddurim.  Anat explained that every month the security forces seem to make up new rules that are not according to laws or legitimacy; and that it is almost like they are looking for new ways to bother us, consistent or not.

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Putting our bodies on the line for change, WOW Supporter Chanel Dubofsky

Putting our bodies on the line for change, WOW Supporter Chanel Dubofsky

On Tuesday, three female American rabbinical students were detained at the Kotel for wearing prayer shawls. I probably would have read about it and then filed it away in my brain under “Things That as a Probably Secular American Jewish Feminist I Am Deeply Troubled By But Can’t Deal With Right Now,” had it not been for the fact that I know two of the women from my time working at the university where they were undergrads. Instead, I found myself thinking about gender, revolution and civil disobedience.

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