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.
Kotel
Thoughts on Yesterday’s Tefilot, WOW Supporter Sheryl Eretz
I am glad that Ariella Rosen wrote her blog describing what happened two days ago on Rosh Hodesh Sivan at the Kotel. She describes so eloquently what I was feeling. I was standing next to her and I too was wearing a long tallit.
What exactly is one supposed to do when asked to change one’s tallit during Shema? I think we both got it right — comply respectfully at the end of the prayer. Looking back, it was obvious that this was a trap. Why else would the police officers wait 30 minutes until exactly that part of the service to ask us to remove our tallitot if not to catch us when we could not do so?
From a Woman Of the Wall to the Women of the World, WOW Supporter Allison Green
Upon arriving in Jerusalem at the beginning of September, I looked forward to attending Rosh Hodesh services with Women of the Wall. However, like most recent college graduate, I found myself speeding through daily life, suddenly realizing that it was late April and I had lost track of time. I got caught up with work, training for various road races, going out with friends, grocery shopping in the shuk and cooking new recipes, squeezing in yoga classes here and there, etc. Most importantly, I had yet to wear my tallis at the Kotel and pray with Women of the Wall.
Let Our Voices Be Heard Today!
This Message is from Shoshana Dembitz, and David and Malka Imberman Kahn
Let Our Voices be Heard
Rosh Hodesh Rally & Minyan
at the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco
Thursday, February 23, 11 AM
456 Montgomery Street
at Sacramento Street, 5 blocks up Montgomery from BART
Watching Birds at the Kotel, WOW Supporter Jonah Rank
By: Jonah Rank The SceneMen praying in the Men’s section specifically with Women of the Wall were few. I … Read more
A First Time Testimony
by Rachel Cohen Yeshurun I’ve been living in Israel, in the Jerusalem area for over 20 years. I think I … Read more
Echoes of a Shofar, 80 years later
Why do the Israeli government and Rabbi Rabinowitz, Head Rabbi of Holy Sites including the Kotel, enforce the exactly same … Read more
A Silenced Shofar on Rosh Chodesh Elul
As we celebrate the month of Elul, we prepare spiritually for the High Holidays as they approach us. In most … Read more