'Women of the Wall' Gather for Service (PHOTOS)

Every day one can visit the Western Wall (otherwise known as the Wailing Wall or HaKotel in Hebrew) and look to the left side of the magnificent ancient structure, which still stands from 70 C.E., and see men singing, praying loudly, reading Torah, wearing prayer shawls and wrapping tefillin. The Wall is the holiest site accessible in the Jewish faith, as it is a retaining wall from the ancient Jewish Temple.

On the right side, the women's side, it will be mostly quiet and bare of Torahs or religious dress. Sometimes women will peek over the segregation wall to get a glimpse of the livelihood on the men's side.

Women of the Wall is a group of women who hold group prayer, wrap tefillin, and wear prayer shawls at the Wall. At times in the past the group even brought a Torah inside the gates of the Wall.

In July 2010, Anat Hoffman, one of the group's leaders, was dragged out of, and beyond, the women's praying area and thrown into a police car after having the Torah ripped from her arms. Now, Hoffman faces three years in jail, all because of women praying in a group and holding a Torah.

The reasoning behind these archaic rules, enforced by the Israeli government at a public place, is that the Wall is considered an Orthodox synagogue. Women are kept from most of these rituals and readings inside a typical Orthodox Jewish synagogue.

Below are photos of a recent gathering (Feb. 2) of the Women of the Wall. Included at the end of the series are photos of Anat Hoffman just before she was arrested in July.

No Torah Allowed, For Women

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Tammy Gottlieb holds the torah at the entrance of the Western Wall while the Women of the Wall pray, sing and dance on the women's side. Women are not allowed to hold a torah at the Western Wall, so a volunteer holds it outside the premises every service. Gottlieb has been attending services and prayer with Women of the Wall for one year, and has volunteered to stand outside with the torah two or three times.

No Torah Allowed, For Women

Tammy Gottlieb holds the torah at the entrance of the Western Wall while the Women of the Wall pray, sing and dance on the women's side. Women are not allowed to hold a torah at the Western Wall, so a volunteer holds it outside the premises every service. Gottlieb has been attending services and prayer with Women of the Wall for one year, and has volunteered to stand outside with the torah two or three times.

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No Torah Allowed, For Women

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Comments

[yoyo1900]

03:46 AM on 02/05/2011

The Jews are a minority and should be sensitive to the plight of the female. The ultraothodox are in control of the religious affairs in Israel. Their beliefs are old fashioned and have an aura of the biblical patriarchs. Times have changed and so should religion.

[HerrMonk]

03:57 PM on 02/08/2011

I thought the whole point of being part of an organized religion was the idea that it holds eternal truths.

Changing your religion to make it more PC and palatable to the secularists is really just an admission that your religion is wrong.

[gal416]

10:10 PM on 02/08/2011

I agree.

[Tove Reiakvam Head]

08:38 PM on 02/04/2011

Will never forget the first time I visited the Wailing Wall. Had no idea that there was a male section where women weren't allowed and was incredulous as someone attempted to stop me in mid journey (twice). It was especially confusing because the little girl with our small group went right on up there and placed her prayer in one of the crevices. Apparently, because she had her hair up under a baseball cap, the 'wall patrol' didn't realize she was female. I felt badly that I didn't know better, but also felt bad because some people really do still believe that women 'contaminate' things.

[Marianne TB]

08:37 PM on 02/04/2011

ugh. Patriarchy.bleh.

[TheFriendlyAtheist]

08:10 PM on 02/04/2011

It's hard to see a bright future for Israel when the crazies who engage in this behavior and discrimination are the fastest growing segment of the nation.

[LegallyBlondeNYC]

07:53 PM on 02/04/2011

"Imagine...and no religion too" -- John Lennon

[gal416]

10:12 PM on 02/08/2011

I imagine there's no John Lennon too.

[LegallyBlondeNYC]

07:52 PM on 02/04/2011

"Separate is inherently unequal" -- Brown v. Board of Education.

[sevumar]

03:54 PM on 02/04/2011

I applaud the efforts of the Women of the Wall to fight for women's equality in religious expression. For too long, and across too many faiths, women have been marginalized and excluded from participating in religious rituals, celebrations, or prayers.

Ancient attitudes about women and their place in society have been changing in many societies, but for some reason, religion fiercely resists modernity. The plight of women who wish to carry the Torah at the Western Wall is a great illustration of why religion must come around to a human rights view of the world. It is no longer acceptable for modern societies to segregate men and women in public places, and to curtail the rights of women to engage in whatever religious expression they choose. Religion in the modern world is highly individualistic. It is time the hidebound leaders of dusty, archaic old sects realize this and change their ways.