One of our most read posts this month was “Practical loving ways to heal through chronic illness” by our friend Dr. Abby Caplin, who has also written for our print magazine, here and here. She asked us if we were going to be writing about the woman who was arrested at the Western Wall, and I asked if she would write it, and she did. For more information and analysis about the incident check out the Israel Religious Action Center’s facebook page, the Women of the Wall, and Richard Silverstein’s post at Tikun Olam.
It’s Simply Prayer. WOW!
by Abby Caplin
Nofrat Frenkel, left, with Anat Hoffman, Director of the Israel Religious Action Center and Women of the Wall, before the arrest at the Wall.
When I learned that the young medical student Nofrat Frenkel was arrested at the Kotel (The Western Wall) in Jerusalem for praying while wearing a tallit (Jewish prayer shawl) on November 18th, I felt sick. The refrain of a song went through my head: “I’m tired of being smooth. I’m tired of being nice. I’m tired of making it sound all pretty…” by Laura Love.
It’s not pretty. It’s disgusting that a woman can’t wear her tallit, something many women around the world have been wearing for decades, at Israel’s most holy site, without being abused and arrested. It’s an embarrassment, and it has to end. If women don’t want to wear one, that’s fine. But to wear a tallit is beautiful. I’ve been wearing one for years. It’s part of me, and helps me connect to Shechinah (God). It’s funny how something so feminine has been co-opted by Orthodoxy as a masculine ritual object.
I’m sorry, but this is a JEWISH ritual object, along with kippot (head coverings) and t’fillin (phylacteries). Let’s get rid of this abusive prohibition, one that has become law in Israel because of powerful ultra orthodox religious groups. There is no law that bans a Jewish woman from wearing Jewish ritual objects. It’s time to reclaim Judaism in Israel.
According to a report filed by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, the Western Wall rabbi, called the group’s actions on Wednesday “an act of provocation that seeks to turn the Western Wall into disputed territory.” It seems to me that Rabbi Rabinovitch is the one who is doing the disputing.
It’s time to support these holy Women of the Wall (WOW), a group that has been leading services monthly NEAR the Western Wall, but not AT the Western Wall, bravely attempting to pray as full Jews since 1988, as is their right, as is my right as a Jewish woman.
In solidarity, it has been decided that on January 10, 2010 at 10 AM, in local public squares across the nation, women, men, their friends and allies, will gather to hold a morning service, wearing or sharing tallitot (prayer shawls). We encourage you to form such prayer services in your local community. Let us pray that some day Jewish women in Jerusalem can pray freely, without fear of attack from other Jews. Let us pray that all people will pray, and act, for peace.
Abby Caplin MD, MA
Mind-Body Medicine and Counseling
Healing through Chronic Illness
http://permissiontoheal.wordpress.com
Dear Abby:
Kol Kavod. I too am revolted by these ultra-orthodox fanatics. Let us hope that some day they too will come to holiness. I fully support the wonderful work you are doing.
Right on, Abby (and Jay)! I couldn’t agree more.
Thanks, Jay and Joshua!
Abby
Bravo, Abby!
Thanks so much for your leadership and I plan to be with you on Jan. 10.
Blessings,
Ilene
With all my heart and soul and Love for God i hope that every woman and man who rads and indentifies with yon young doctors expression of religious faith ion wearing a prayer shawl, will support and understand the desire of my muslim sisters who express their love for god and devotion to our faith by wearing a head scarf.
Kol hakavod to you, Abby! I had the privilege of being with the first gathering of Women of the Wall in 1988, and this is an important reminder that we still have more work to do in order to create sacred spaces for people of all genders to fully and freely pray together.
Sounds like par for the course in the Middle East. Yemeni Jews wear/wore burkhas, Israeli buses are segregated, this is religion as it’s practised. I know converting away from Judaism is a total no-no for a first-class Israeli but the state doesn’t control your mind.
While I agree in principle, here are my quaifiers: Do you first observe the mitzvot that are incumbent upon women…challah, mikve, neirot, prayer once a day…or do you seek to change the incumbencies to make men and women not just equal in responsibility but equal in deed? I happen to be a long-time proponent of “separate but equal” w/respect to women and tefilah, if only due to a personal comfort zone, But I stiil say, only when women follow the “women specific” mitzvot should they then move to the previously male-dominated commandments. As I am not impressed by men or women who step to the shulchan or biman or tevah to read the torah on shabbat, then go off and do whatever they please for the rest of the day, I guess it would be a good idea to keep Shabbat (if not yet being done) before moving to daily rituals that often seem to demonstrate assertiveness rather than piety.
Dear 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
Dear Miriam,
Thank you so much for this extremely important clarification and correction.
Abby
Sisters and brothers of the Jewish community of the 21st century, I am pained but not surprised by the desperate attempts by the fundamentalist patriarchy of the extreme fringe of our co-religionists to resist the inevitable transition from domination to partnership. And I am saddened by the fact that in the homeland of the Jews, our women are so shabbily treated, even by the government.
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.
I am grateful to Abby for starting this conversation here, and also for initiating the planning of the January 10 Prayer Service in Union Square to support the Israeli Women of the Wall.
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.
I would like to make a contribution to WOW. But nowhere have I been able to find an address to do so.
Please supply.
Leona Green
Dear Leona,
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
Donation page for NSP: http://www.spiritualprogressives.org/article.php?story=donaterenew
Also, today this topic made the NY Times Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/22/world/middleeast/22jerusalem.html?hp
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.
really honored to hear about that. you’ve encouraged me a lot. thanks for your admiting my blog. have a nice day 😛