Ask the Rabbi

By Rabbi Gayle Pomerantz, Open Tent Founding Director

I remember the first time I ever visited the Western Wall (also known as the Wailing Wall or Kotel).  I was 16 years old and visiting Israel on the Alexander Muss High School in Israel program.  I had this vision in my head of what it would be like to see the Wall for the first time, to touch it with my own hands, to smell the ancient city of Jerusalem…and I was utterly disappointed.  First of all, the Wall looked much smaller than I had imagined, particularly the women’s side, which appeared to be about half the size of the men’s.  Secondly, on the women’s side of the Wall, nothing was happening.  All the action was on the men’s side – dancing, singing, praying out loud.  And then, what was especially irksome, was that many women and girls had lined up by the partition, and were watching the activity on the men’s side, without any thought to making things happen on the women’s side.  I vowed then and there, that I would one day return to the Wall and with devotion and love, bring life to the women’s side.

I am happy to say that I have fulfilled that vow.  I have had the privilege of visiting the Wall on many, many occasions, and of bringing groups of women to pray, dance and sing with me there.  Each time, when we lift our voices in song and our feet in dance, others join in, grateful for the opportunity of joyful expression.  Luckily for us, we have never been arrested.

Last week on Wednesday morning, a young medical student visited the Wall with “Women of the Wall”, a group which has monthly Rosh Hodesh (new moon) meetings at the Wall, and she was arrested for wearing a tallit (http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1129040.html).  Police said they arrested the women for not dressing in accordance with the site’s “dress code”.  Orthodox men, threatened by women’s spirituality, are suppressing women’s desire to pray out loud as a community, wearing the traditional garments Jews wear in prayer.

All over the world, women are allowed to wrap themselves in a tallit, a traditional Jewish prayer shawl, for prayer – everywhere — except for the holiest place on earth!  On this American holiday of Thanksgiving, I am grateful that I have the opportunity to pray as I wish, with other women or men, wearing a tallit or not.  Next time I’m in Israel, I will once again pray at the Wall, and one of the things I will pray for is the acceptance of women’s rights in Israel.