Also, today this topic made the NY Times Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/22/world/middleeast/22jerusalem.html?hp

Thank you so much for your question and interest in making a contribution!

What I’ve found is the following:

Israel Religious Action Center of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism: http://www.irac.org/Donate.aspx
Anat Hoffman, of WOW in Israel, is the Executive Director. Donations can be made online and are tax-deductible.

You can also check out this website to purchase one of WOW’s tallitot (prayer shawls):http://womenofthewall.org.il/wordpress/

Of course, also in need of financial support is our own The Network of Spiritual Progressives NSP. :)

Many thanks and blessings,

Abby

Thanks also to Tom for your sharp, lucid comments, especially for writing the much needed response to “Elgin”, who behaves as if he has the right to tell women how to practice Judaism. I think your comments were so clear & strong that no one else has picked up that tired old banner of pronouncing on “male-dominated commandments”. Excuse me?? I don’t recall learning in Hebrew school or Torah Study about “male-dominated commandments” that restrict the wearing of tallit.

Those with qualifiers come across as if they have the right to judge and decide who and how one can practice his or her faith. Excuse me, but your arrogance is showing. Daven as you like, but please don’t begin to think that you or anyone else is in the position to impose their personal preferences (whether under the guise of halacha or minhag) on others in our kehilla, be they men or women, gay/lesbian or straight.

Thank you Abby. See you on January 10.

Thank you so much for this extremely important clarification and correction.

Abby

I write as the Legal Liaison of the International Committee for Women of the Wall. Thank you for your support.

We ask that you not refer to Rabinowitz as “Rav HaKotel” or “Western Wall Rabbi” in any of your postings, etc but rather as “Memuneh Al Hakotel” (Administrator of the Kotel).

His title is not mere semantics.

Rather, the title “Memuneh” accurately reflects his political and legal status, namely: Administrator of the Kotel, according to the Statute Governing Holy Sites.

We have never and do not now recognize his halachic authority as our mara d’atra, or halachic decisor, to determine minhag hamakom (local custom) at this holy site. Calling him “Rav” imputes to him authority that we do not recognize, and that we strongly discourage our supporters from recognizing.

Please: accuracy is important.

The state’s ceding to him the authority to determine minhag hamakom — and the police support for this false, mistaken authority — is an injustice that we must overturn in time, whether through legislation or additional litigation.

Further, Bagatz (Supreme Court sitting as the High Court of Justice) has thus far been sadly and shockingly impotent in

*acknowledging that he is merely the Memuneh
*denying him the right to determine minhag hamakom, and
*allowing our LEGITIMATE minhag to be practiced — with police PROTECTION.

The violent thugs and perpetrators of vicious bodily harm have won; they have thus far been given carte blanche to dictate our legal rights (or lack thereof) by their criminal behavior.

Again, his appellation is not mere semantics.

Thank you for your attention and support for the right of women to pray as a group, outloud, in the women’s section of the Kotel, with Torah and Tallit. If you have any questions or any lack of clarity regarding the accuracy of the above, please let me know.

Shalom,

Miriam Benson