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.
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.
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.
Yesterday, as I stood in front of dozens of young men dancing in a circle marked by high levels of testosterone, I struggled to hear my own prayers over those Carlebachniggunim sung and shouted so loudly that my ears actually hurt.
Of course these young men had every right to a loud festivity. And they had every right to hold it in front of the Western Wall.
Just this past week, Israelis and Jews around the world marked the day that has come to known as Yom Yerushalayim, a semi-holiday celebrating the reuniting of East and West Jerusalem during the 6 day war in 1967. Though Yom Yerushalayim is not an entirely uncomplicated commemoration (see, for example, Rabbi Jill Jacob’s critical comments on the day) one positive good that came from the victory of the IDF in Jerusalem over mostly Jordanian forces was the opening of the Old City to Jews. For the first time I many years, Jews could freely walk through the Jerusalem’s Old City and could visit the kotel, a small section of a wall of the Temple courtyard.
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
