In a letter to Women FOR the Wall, HaRav HaGaon Aharon Feldman, shlit”a urges all women to join the group’s Rosh Chodesh prayers at the Western Wall, aimed at preserving the traditions of Jewish prayer at the Holy Site.
“The Western Wall is a monument to the immutable faith of the Jewish people in the rebuilding of the Holy Temple and the renewal of its ancient modes of worship. By implication it is also a monument to the all Jewish belief in Torah and its traditions,” wrote Rabbi Feldman. “It is thus tragically unfortunate that the Western Wall is being used by certain groups as an arena for the rejection of age-old Jewish traditions. How improper — even offensive — for them to promote their innovations by undermining the very ideas which the Wall symbolizes!”
Rav Aharon Feldman is presently the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Ner Israel in Baltimore, Maryland, and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America. Previously he was the Rosh Kollel of Kollel Meshech Chochmah of Yeshivas Ohr Somayach Jerusalem, where he lived for many years. Thus his words are widely respected in both countries, and were especially intended to encourage participation by American-born women and seminary students to join the prayers of Women For the Wall.
“American Olim have a special impetus to respond to an American group bent upon changing our holy traditions, and to do so by joining us in peaceful prayer,” said Women For the Wall Director Ronit Peskin. “There is no better way to show ourselves, our children and the world that we delight in being traditional Jewish women, and wish to preserve our faith and outlook.”
Rav Feldman emphasized the importance of preserving peace at the Kosel, and said that avoiding any form of verbal or physical abuse “goes without saying.”
“Chanuka celebrates the willingness of dedicated Jews to risk even their lives against the infiltration of foreign ideas,” said Women For the Wall co-founder Leah Aharoni. “As in the times of the Maccabees, so today, the battle rages at our holiest site. It is upon us to follow in the footsteps of Yehudis and Chana to preserve our holy Mesorah.”
Women For the Wall will hold its next tefila on Rosh Chodesh Teves, Wednesday December 4, at 6:30 AM.
Women for the Wall, a grassroots organization committed to preserving the consensus around the Kotel and maintaining the sanctity of the place, is dedicated to ensuring that the Western Wall can be a place for all Jews to come and pray with respect and dignity. It believes that only by preserving classical Jewish practice at the Wall can it be a place where all Jews can be welcome.
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3 Responses
The Women of the Wall are an incredible example of achdus, that is severely lacking in the male Orthodox world.
As a North American, I encourage my fellow Jews to doven for our mighty female warriors and support them financially. May Hashem bentch our female lionesses to defeat the “looneytoon” women of the Wall. These kippah wearing women are an embarrasment in the eyes of Hashem and a disgrace to the values that our beloved Maccabees fought for.I am ashamed to say that some of these rashaim come from my country of birth, Canada.
Correction.. I meant the Women FOR the Wall should be bentched and matzliach..
The Hellenist Wow’s should fail miserably and sent packing…
Bring it on WOW.. The Jewish women and their supporters are ready and set to relegate your movement and philosophies into the dustbins of history.
IMHO we should be davening for those women to do teshuva. Don’t judge anyone until you’ve come to their place, i.e. until you’ve had all the experiences they’ve had in their lives that have brought them to think the way they do now. Much as I think they’re totally wrong and misguided, the way to change them is by understanding their mindset and looking for ways to get them to see things in a better way. Hillel told us to be talmidim of Aharon, loving people and bringing them closer to Torah. There are kiruv pros who do this kind of thing beautifully, where are they now?