The Women of the Wall (WoW) are not wasting time, already working on the upcoming Chanukah provocation following the recent confrontation at the Kosel on Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan.

WoW leader Anat Hoffman sent a letter to Kosel Rav Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz asking to place a menorah in the ezras noshim of the Kosel to permit a women’s candle lighting ceremony on Chanukah. Copied on the letter is Assistant Attorney General Dina Zilber, who has already ruled exclusion of women at the Chanukah candle lighting ceremony last year in unacceptable.

Hoffman points out in the letter that despite Zilber’s ruling last year, women were not included in the official daily lighting with the exception of the fourth night when Minister Gila Gamliel and MK Tzipi Livni took part in a smaller event on a nearby yeshiva balcony. Even in the ceremony in which they took part Hoffman explains, they were not permitted to light the candle or recite the bracha.

Hoffman explains that this year, they are making the request weeks ahead of Chanukah, asking for the placement of a large menorah in the ezras noshim as is done in the men’s section to permit a parallel daily Chanukah lighting ceremony for women. Hoffman concludes that this year they will not make do with the single menorah in the men’s section if women are not included in that daily ceremony and not just given a secondary role as was the case last year.

Last year, WoW also called on persons selected to light the menorah daily to boycott the ceremony due to the exclusion of women.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)