Women of the Wall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Women of the Wall

נשות הכותל
Type	Nonprofit
Purpose	Women's rights advocacy
Headquarters	Israel
Region served	Israel
President	Anat Hoffman
Staff	7

Woman praying at Women of the Wall service wearing a tallit and tefillin

Women of the Wall (in Hebrew: נשות הכותל, Neshot HaKotel) is a Jewish organization in Israel. It includes women from different Jewish groups. Their main goal is to make sure women have the right to pray at the Western Wall (also called the Kotel). They want to pray in ways that include singing, reading from the Torah, and wearing religious clothes. These clothes are the tallit (prayer shawl), tefillin (small boxes with scriptures), and kippah (skullcap).

In Israel, there are rules about religion. The Rabbi of the Western Wall has set rules for prayer there. These rules separate men and women. They also limit what religious clothes women can wear. Women of the Wall hold monthly prayer services for women. They follow the gender separation rules so that Orthodox members can join. However, their use of religious clothes, singing, and Torah reading has upset some in the Orthodox Jewish community. This has led to protests and arrests.

In May 2013, a judge decided that an earlier ruling from 2003 had been misunderstood. This meant that Women of the Wall prayer gatherings at the Wall should not be seen as illegal. In January 2016, the Israeli government approved a plan for a new prayer area at the Kotel. This area would be for everyone, men and women praying together. It would not be controlled by the main religious authority. Women of the Wall liked this decision. But some ultra-Orthodox groups were against it.

In January 2017, the Israeli High Court ruled that if the government could not give a good reason to stop women from reading from the Torah at the Kotel within 30 days, women could do so. They also said that the Robinson's Arch area could not be called the main access to the Kotel anymore. However, in June 2017, the plan approved in January 2016 was put on hold.

What Women of the Wall Do

The Western Wall (August 2012)

From the beginning, Women of the Wall included Orthodox members. They said their services followed "Orthodox standards." But according to strict Orthodox rules, women do not wear tzitzit (fringes), tefillin, or read from the Torah. Many Orthodox people, including some Orthodox feminists, were offended by this. Women of the Wall is a group with members from different Jewish traditions. These include Reform, Conservative, and modern-Orthodox Jews.

Since 1988, the group has been fighting in court for their right to pray at the Western Wall. Some Orthodox worshippers find their presence offensive. There have been many court cases to solve this issue. In 1989, during a Jewish holiday, some Orthodox men were upset by the women's singing. They caused disruptions, and police had to step in. In 2009, the first woman was arrested for praying with a tallit. The Orthodox religious leaders in Israel see the Women of the Wall's efforts as trying to reduce their influence. They believe it is an attempt to bring different religious practices into Israel.

Orthodox opposition comes from their religious rules, called Halacha. They believe the Western Wall area should be like an Orthodox synagogue. Orthodox Judaism does not allow women to form a minyan (a group of ten adults needed for certain prayers). Even though the women do not see themselves as forming a minyan, this has not calmed Orthodox feelings.

Initially, the group did not get support from Israel's main Orthodox religious authorities. Supporters pointed out that only in Israel are Jewish women stopped from praying in public according to their customs. A 2003 High Court ruling that stopped them from praying at the Wall was changed in 2013.

In January 2016, the Israeli government approved a plan for a new space at the Kotel. This space would be for prayer where men and women could pray together. It would not be controlled by the main religious authority. In 2017, the Israeli High Court ruled that if the government could not find a good reason to stop women from reading from the Torah at the Kotel within 30 days, women could do so. They also ruled that the Robinson's Arch area could no longer be called the main access to the Kotel. This request for women to read from the Torah came from a group that separated from Women of the Wall. This group called itself the "Original Women of the Wall." However, later in 2017, the plan approved in January 2016 was put on hold.

Some Orthodox feminist groups have supported the Women of the Wall's right to pray at the Kotel. The organization was started by Jewish women, many from other countries. A lot of participants are American immigrants or English speakers. This is partly because Orthodox women in the United States and Israel have different social situations.

How the Group Started

WOW Torah Reading

Twenty-five years after Women of the Wall was founded, a survey in May 2013 showed that about half of Israelis supported the group. Men (51.5%) were more likely to support them than women (46%). The survey found that educated, non-religious, European-descended Israelis gave the most support. However, the group was not always supported by most Israelis.

Border patrol conflict with Women of the Wall protestors

Women of the Wall was founded in December 1988. This happened at the first International Jewish Feminist Conference in Jerusalem. On December 1, 1988, a group of 70 women prayed at the Western Wall. They carried a Torah scroll. When the conference ended, a group of Jerusalem women continued to meet at the Kotel. They formed Women of the Wall to fight for their right to pray there freely.

Women of the Wall has fought a legal battle to be allowed to hold organized prayers at the Kotel. They have also challenged government and private groups that tried to stop them. After they asked for police protection, the government was given nine months to make arrangements for them to pray without problems. After this time, the Ministry of Religion said that only prayer following the "custom of the place" was allowed. They also said that the "feelings of other worshippers" must not be hurt. Women of the Wall then asked the Supreme Court to recognize their right to pray at the Wall. A temporary ruling said that the current situation should stay until a final decision was made.

The legal fights between the High Court of Justice and Women of the Wall continued between 1995 and 2000. The Israeli government did not keep its promise to find a way for Women of the Wall to pray. This led to an appeal from Women of the Wall to the High Court of Justice in 1995. In April 1996, the court decided that Women of the Wall's prayer should move from the Western Wall to the Robinson's Arch area. This area was not the main prayer spot. Women of the Wall appealed this decision in 1998, but the decision was confirmed. Women of the Wall accepted this, but only if the new area was set up properly for prayer. The government did not prepare the Robinson's Arch area. This led to another appeal to the Supreme Court in 2000. In this appeal, the Supreme Court ruled that the Israeli government had to let Women of the Wall practice their religious freedom at the Western Wall.

The struggle has led to two Israeli Supreme Court decisions and many discussions in the Knesset (Israel's parliament). In its first decision on May 22, 2002, the Supreme Court ruled that it was legal for Women of the Wall to hold prayer groups and read Torah in the women's section of the main Kotel plaza without being bothered. Four days later, some ultra-Orthodox political parties tried to pass laws to overturn this decision. One bill would have made it a crime for women to pray in non-traditional ways at the Western Wall. This could have led to up to seven years in prison. Although the bill did not pass, the Israeli Supreme Court looked at its earlier decision again. On April 6, 2003, the Court changed its mind. It upheld the Israeli government's ban on the group reading Torah or wearing tallit or tefillin in the main public area at the Wall. The Court said these meetings could be a threat to public safety. The Court required the government to provide another site, Robinson's Arch. Plans for a small prayer site at Robinson's Arch were shown in October 2003. The leader of Women of the Wall, Anat Hoffman, did not like the plan. She said, "Now we're going to be praying at an archeological site, at an alternative site for the Jews of a lesser degree." The site opened in 2004.

In December 2012, after pressure from non-Orthodox American Jews, Natan Sharansky was asked by the Prime Minister to find a solution. In April 2013, Sharansky suggested building a third prayer center at the Wall. This center would be for men and women praying together, and it would be the same size as the area controlled by Orthodox Jews. This idea was supported by the government to solve the problem. However, this plan might have created new issues instead of solving the old ones.

In March 2013, three women members of the Knesset used their special protection as lawmakers. They wore prayer shawls and joined Women of the Wall to show support. This happened after 10 women had been arrested the month before.

In May 2013, the government issued a directive to solve the legal dispute. A court ruling then allowed Women of the Wall to hold services at the site. The court decided that their prayer and rituals were not against the "local custom." Since the women did not use physical or verbal violence, they could not be blamed for any problems that happened. However, the Rabbi of the Western Wall still sees their presence as a challenge.

The group has the support of large non-Orthodox Jewish groups in America. These groups see the issue of women's rights to pray at the Wall as a chance to promote prayer where men and women are equal. Most Israelis have never experienced this. They also want to remove the control of the holy site from the Western Wall rabbi.

The arrests of Women of the Wall members have been criticized by groups that support religious freedom in Israel.

In October 2014, Women of the Wall started a campaign to encourage girls to have their bat mitzvah services at the Kotel. Unlike many American non-Orthodox Jewish girls, Israeli Jewish girls usually do not celebrate a bat mitzvah by reading from their Torah portion. The campaign showed girls wearing prayer shawls and holding a Torah scroll in front of the Wall. The ad said, "Mom, I also want a bat mitzvah at the Kotel!" The Western Wall Heritage Foundation, which is controlled by Orthodox groups, manages events at the Wall. They offer bar mitzvahs for boys but not for girls. They also do not allow women to carry Torah scrolls at the Wall. Some of the campaign ads were damaged in Orthodox neighborhoods.

On December 18, 2014, Women of the Wall held a women's candle lighting at the Kotel for Hanukkah. Every year, a giant menorah is put up in the men's section of the Western Wall. Each night of Hanukkah, male rabbis and politicians light candles. Women stay in the women's section, where it is hard to see the ceremony. At the Women of the Wall ceremony, women brought their own menorahs. They asked Jews worldwide to light a candle for Women of the Wall on the third night of Hanukkah. Women of the Wall asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to put a large menorah in the women's section too. But Netanyahu sent the letter to the Western Wall rabbi, Shmuel Rabinowitz. He accused Women of the Wall of trying to change the customs at the Wall.

In April 2015, Women of the Wall read from a full-size Torah scroll during their service at the Western Wall. One hundred Torah scrolls are kept for men at the Western Wall. Male supporters of Women of the Wall passed a Torah scroll over the barrier into the women's section. Witnesses said that as women were reading, some ultra-Orthodox men attacked the male supporters. They tried to take the Torah scroll from the women. Police stepped in and stopped them. After the Torah reading, Women of the Wall members danced with the scroll.

In January 2016, the Israeli government approved a plan for a new space at the Kotel. This space would be for prayer where men and women could pray together. It would not be controlled by the main religious authority. Women of the Wall welcomed this decision. A group called Original Women of the Wall, which includes some founding members, did not agree with this compromise. They said they would keep holding prayer services at the Western Wall, praying with prayer shawls and tefillin.

In March 2016, a member of the Knesset, Meir Porush, was criticized for saying that Women of the Wall should be "thrown to the dogs." The committee said his words were "scornful" and "deplored harshly."

In 2017, the Israeli High Court ruled that if the government could not find a good reason to stop women from reading from the Torah at the Kotel within 30 days, women could do so. They also ruled that the Robinson's Arch area could no longer be called the main access to the Kotel. This request came from the "Original Women of the Wall" group. However, later that year, the plan approved in January 2016 was put on hold.

Recent Events

Arrests and Challenges

Women detained for wearing prayer shawls; photo from Women of the Wall

In their fight for rights and religious freedom, members of the group have been willing to break rules peacefully. They have become "prisoners of conscience."

Several members have been arrested for actions they say are legal under court rulings. Nofrat Frenkel was arrested in November 2009 for wearing a tallit under her coat and holding a Torah. She was not charged but was not allowed to visit the Wall for two weeks.

The group's leader, Anat Hoffman, was questioned by police in January 2010. She was told she could be charged with a serious crime for her involvement with Women of the Wall. On July 12, 2010, Hoffman was arrested for holding a Torah scroll. She was fined and told not to go near the Kotel for thirty days.

On October 16, 2012, Hoffman was arrested again. She was accused of singing loudly and disturbing the peace. She was released the next day. The next morning, Lesley Sachs and board member Rachel Cohen Yeshurun were held for "disturbing public order." Hoffman described being searched and held in a cell. She said, "I'm a tough cookie, but I was just so miserable. And for what? I was with the Hadassah women saying Sh'ma Yisrael."

On February 11, 2013, ten women from Women of the Wall, including two American rabbis, were held for praying at the Wall. This was because they wore clothes they were not allowed to wear at that site. The women were not allowed to return for 15 days.

On April 11, 2013, five women were held for supposedly bothering other worshippers. They were later released by a judge. The judge ruled that the women did not start the disturbance. Instead, it was the Orthodox protesters who started it.

On July 17, 2015, Women of the Wall board member Rachel Cohen Yeshurun was arrested by police. This happened in the prayer section of the Kotel after she brought a Torah Scroll into the Kotel early in the morning.

On June 7, 2016, Women of the Wall Executive Director Leslie Sachs was held by police for bringing a Torah into the Kotel. She was also held for "disturbing the public order."

On June 14, 2018, several Women of the Wall board members were briefly held outside the Western Wall plaza by police who asked to see their IDs.

Women of the Wall's Viewpoint

Women of the Wall have always said that there is no single "custom of the place" at the Western Wall. They believe their right to pray is a religious freedom protected by Israeli law. They think the Western Wall is both a religious and a national site. Because of this, it belongs to all Jewish people. They continue to challenge the current customs at the Wall. They believe the Wall is a holy place for all Jews. They often say that their group is not just Reform Jews. They come from all Jewish backgrounds. They also say their actions follow Orthodox Jewish Law strictly and that their prayer is real, not just a political act.

Orthodox Jewish law generally does not allow women to read from the Torah. It also has stricter rules about women wearing tallit and kippahs. The main goal of Women of the Wall is to "achieve the social and and legal recognition of our right, as women, to wear prayer shawls, pray and read from the Torah collectively and out loud at the Western Wall." The women have made progress. Since 1988, they have held occasional, uninterrupted prayer services wearing tallitot and tefillin.

Ultra-Orthodox Viewpoint

The Israeli Ultra-Orthodox Jewish religious leaders are against the services held by Women of the Wall. Ultra-Orthodox rabbis say that even if such prayer might be allowed by Jewish Law, it goes against Jewish custom. They believe that even if old Jewish texts support certain actions, the power of custom is as strong as law. They say that old legal opinions cannot be used to create new ways of praying. They also believe that Women of the Wall are driven by feminism, not by a true spiritual desire. They see the group's struggle as an attempt to reduce their influence. They also see it as a way for non-Orthodox groups to gain official recognition in Israel. This could lead to different religious practices being accepted in the country.

Different Opinions

Some Jewish feminist activists in Israel have seen the Women of the Wall's actions as not fitting with their political goals. Some scholars believe the conflict is a fight for cultural power. They see it as a struggle between a modern, freedom-loving group and the traditional ultra-Orthodox community. Others suggest that the strong opposition from Orthodox Jews comes from their desire to keep religious male leadership strong against the challenge of religious feminism.

Phyllis Chesler of Original Women of the Wall wrote: "We asked for our rights under civil and religious law. When we prayed, other worshipers, both men and women, verbally and physically assaulted us. We asked the Israeli state to protect us so that we could exercise our rights. The state claimed it could not contain the violence against us, and that we ourselves had provoked the violence by 'disturbing/offending' the 'sensibilities of Jews at worship'. Women are not seen as 'Jews' or as 'worshipers' with 'sensibilities'."

See also

In Spanish: Mujeres del Muro para niños

• Role of women in Judaism
• Jewish feminism
• Freedom of religion
• Women in Israel
• Sexism in Israel

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