Women Of The Wall To Read From Torah Scroll At The Kotel Proper Sunday
“There was no
lack of aggression or much restraint shown, so there’s no real reason not
to read from the Sefer Torah. Women of the Wall won’t back down in the face of bullying; the people
who should be punished for disturbing the peace are the people who
disturb the peace, not the Women of the Wall who are just seeking to
conduct their prayer service.”
The Jerusalem Post reports:
…Following a meeting last month with Bennett and Ben-Dahan, WoW [Women of the Wall] agreed not to read from the Torah as a compromise to help lower tensions.
The group now says that since its prayer service was met with hostile and at times violent protest from haredi demonstrators it no longer sees a reason to refrain from reading from the Sefer Torah.
Thousands of haredi school girls packed into the women’s section of the Western Wall last month to protest WoW’s service [and to block WoW’s access to the Kotel], the first ever in which the group was legally able to don prayer shawls and tefillin without fear of arrest by the police.
The schoolgirls were also joined by a large presence of haredi boys and men who scuffled with the police. Various objects were also hurled at the WoW worshipers.
“There was no lack of aggression or much restraint shown so there’s no real reason not to read from the Sefer Torah,” a spokeswoman for WoW said on Wednesday. “Women of the Wall won’t back down in the face of bullying; the people who should be punished for disturbing the peace are the people who disturb the peace, not the Women of the Wall who are just seeking to conduct their prayer service.”…
Almost willing to pay for my wife to fly over, but she's reading at shul on Shabbes.
Posted by: rebitzman - $101 to read my posts | June 05, 2013 at 03:14 PM
Even though the courts and the police side with WOW, I have little trust in the Haredim. It is predictable that there will be those who will attempt to either block WOW, or abscond with the sefer torah, or show the ultimate displeasure by assaulting WOW members. WOW would be well advised to bring a phalanx of security or to be armed with non-lethal weapons (tazers come to mind immediately). In any event, the extremists are not to be trusted.
Posted by: Alter Kocker | June 05, 2013 at 03:47 PM
Oh these frum feminists sound so hot....not
Posted by: bendinai | June 05, 2013 at 03:48 PM
Good for them not giving in to the Haredi aggression!!! I wish I was in Israel now to support them on Sunday!!
Posted by: Jake24 | June 05, 2013 at 03:59 PM
I'll be with them on RH Av. Going for a yahrtzeit of a family member who davvened with them 25 years ago.
Posted by: Office of the Chief Rabbi | June 05, 2013 at 04:06 PM
OCF..while you're there you might give some of these ladies (?) a pointer about wearing the bayit correctly...as they look a little more ignorant than they already are. Maybe they just don't want to mess their hair up.
Posted by: D | June 05, 2013 at 04:23 PM
"OCF..while you're there you might give some of these ladies (?) a pointer about wearing the bayit correctly...as they look a little more ignorant than they already are. Maybe they just don't want to mess their hair up. "
Haven't had much lately, have you?
Posted by: Jeff | June 05, 2013 at 05:45 PM
D I noticed that as well. Most of the women were clueless about the proper place for the batim.
WOW so far only goes 11 days a year. So far they don't go on Rosh Hashanah.
They actualy want is a woman's minyan which is a problem Halachically.
That's why Sharansky made his suggestion of permitting colorful tailitot and open group prayer but no to tfillin and Torah reading.
The first Orthodox women's prayer group in the United States took at least a year in planning. All the available Halacha was studied to set up the parameters of how things should be done. And when they did it it created a bit of a uproar. But it continued.
No men were permitted to participate even for a bat mitzvah. So no need for a mechitzah. The Torah reading became more of a Torah study.women would present a dvar Torah for each Aliyah and then they would read the Aliyah from the Torah. I don't remember if they made brachot before and after the reading.
It was never advertised as a woman's minyan,but rather a prayer group or tfilla group.
Posted by: Jake | June 05, 2013 at 06:47 PM
Jeff
I believe your projecting! :-).
Rather vulgar actualy.
Posted by: Jake | June 05, 2013 at 06:50 PM
Rebitzman
Your wife is working too hard.
Our rabbi never needs to read the Torah.
Posted by: Jake | June 05, 2013 at 07:05 PM
That's okay Jeff..thanks...I'm just preparing for a husband that might not be too smart...
Posted by: D | June 05, 2013 at 07:06 PM
D
LOL very good!
Posted by: Jake | June 05, 2013 at 08:09 PM
Gafni’s office gave the [threatening]letter to the Knesset security officer for investigation.
HE IS A MOSSER
Posted by: seymour | June 05, 2013 at 08:22 PM