Praying at the Kotel with the Women of the Wall
Praying at the Kotel with the Women of the Wall
By Phyllis Segal Denaburg
Whenever I am planning a trip to Israel I check the calendar to see if I can be in Jerusalem to join the Women of the Wall (WOW) for Rosh Hodesh, the beginning of the new month. As luck would have it, I was here to celebrate the month of Kislev at the Kotel this morning. A little background about the Women of the Wall. We are a group of Jewish women from Israel and around the world who strive to achieve the right to wear a tallit, pray and read from the Torah collectively and out loud at the Western Wall. WOW also strives for recognition of our prayer service by the legal and religious Israeli authorities, for the sake of all Jewish women.
Today was one of the few times that I have experienced where WOW was actually able to pray aloud wearing a tallit, hear each other singing, and listen to the Torah portion being chanted. Fortunately this month, the loudspeakers broadcasting prayers from the men’s section ‘were not working’, there appeared to be better security within the women’s section to prevent the young school girls from blowing whistles in our ears, while they pushed and shoved us and it was raining! Over 50 women joyfully participated in the service, while numerous male supporters prayed just outside the women’s section, and unfortunately endured the taunts, shoving and whistles.
It was a joy to actually observe Rosh Hodesh with WOW at the Kotel, and we continue to pray that Israel will one day recognize that women have an equal right to pray communally at the Kotel, without the need for security.
PS I have offered to send WOW some ‘suitably decorated’ umbrellas.
Thank you Phyllis for supporting The Women if the Wall by joining the Rosh Chodesh services conducted at the Kotel. It sounds that it was a “peaceful” service than the ones I had attended in the past. It is quite an experience and it’s highly recommended to attend these services as it will be a life changing experience, for the good!
Tere- you and I should chat about the Umbrella project for WOW. Maybe WHB can help.
Count me in to help you! The Umbrella Project is a great start to really show our support to Women of the Wall in Israel.