On Wednesday, 22 Shevat, Women for the Wall (WfW) petitioned the High Court of Justice through attorney Harel Arnon demanding that the Women of the Wall (WoW) be removed from the Kosel Plaza.
The petition, based on the position of the State Attorney’s Office, states that since the state complied with the Dangatz Hoffman requirements, it had no legal obligation to allow the WoW to pray at the Kosel Plaza.
“Therefore, the organization’s members demand that the WoW be removed from the plaza, thereby preventing unnecessary friction and emotional distress from the thousands of regular mispallalim of the Kosel.”
In their petition, the petitioners write: “As a result of the total disintegration of the enforcement authorities from their powers, the Kosel has become, shamefully, a scene of demonstrations and controversy. On rosh chodesh, the WoW women arrived in the plaza wrapped in talitot, tefilin, carrying a smuggled Sefer Torah – all in violation of regulations governing bringing a Sefer Torah into the site. They read from the Torah, dance, sing in loud voices, even standing on chairs in the square.”
The petition further states that: “At the relevant times, WoW also perform ritual blessings and shofar blasts, which are completely forbidden according to Jewish law and are contrary to the custom of the place that has existed at the Kosel for generations. Their actions severely compromise the religious sensitivities of the masses of worshipers at the site, male and female, as well as the feelings of the general public.”
Petitioners maintain these “ceremonies” on rosh chodesh have been prohibited at the Kosel by legislation as well as by the High Court of Justice, and provoke strong opposition as male and female mispallalim protest against them as well as against their whistles and shouts.
“WoW raise their voices and break into song and dance. Cameras document everything. As police and Kosel ushers are called to separate the sides. There is a great commotion taking place at the holy site and this is a disgrace,” their petition states.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
Th title should be WOMEN OFF THE WALL not women for the wall.
May Hashem please bless Women For The Wall with continued Hatzlacha in their holy work of maintaining the holiness of the Kosel! 🙂
Yissi: Women Of The Wall are the Reform women who are disrupting the Kosel. Women FOR The Wall are the Frum women who are trying to STOP Women Of The Wall. I think that you have the 2 groups’ names confused.
yissi
Do you perhaps mean, women of the wall, not off the wall?
yissi, you are confused.Women for the Wall are fighting to maintain the sanctity of the Kotel against Women OF the Wall who are Hellenists there to provoke worshipers and put on a big show of radical feminism and leftism and raise $$$$ from naive Americans.