Women of the Wall: Can Women pray at the Kotel?

Kotel 1979

I have been to Israel many times and the place I always return and visit is the Kotel, the Western Wall.  There is something spiritual and you could say there is something in the air.  Physically the Kotel has changed since the first time I was there in 1973 for a Bat Mitzvah trip.  In fact the archeological finds are so impressive they are a NOT to be missed part of any trip to Israel. Even when I have been to Israel for business it is not really a trip until I visit the Kotel.  The last 2 times I have been I have also been able to put notes from my students in the wall.  It never fails to move me and I can't wait until I can go back.

Kotel 1968

When my parents first visited Israel in February 1968 (6 months after the 6 day war in June 1967) and went to the Kotel it was not as it is today.  The war and ripped through this area and you could see the bullet holes, some of which are still evident today as you enter the old city.  These are bullet holes from both 1948 and 1967.  From 1967 until today there are two sections at the Kotel, one for men and one for women.  There is a discreet separation between the men's and women's side and the men's side has always been bigger.

Jews have been in Jerusalem since the time of the Bible.  In fact at certain times there has been no separation between the sexes.  In Israel since the only State recognized Judaism is Orthodox, women are not allowed to read Torah at the Kotel, wear a tallit, (unless it looks like a shawl) and pray like the men are allowed to pray.  

Hotel between 1900-1920, Men and Women together

This Sunday at Lakeside we will be discussing Women of the Wall and here is there mission statement:  

As Women of the Wall, our central mission is to achieve the social and legal recognition of our right, as women, to wear prayer shawls, pray and read from the Torah collectively and out loud at the Western Wall.

Over the past few years the arguments and legalities around the Kotel have intensified with regards to letting women pray at the Kotel.  There are many other political issues as well regarding the Temple mount but we will be focusing on the Women of the Wall.  I hope that you can join on us this Sunday, December 7 at 10:30 am for a good discussion on this lively topic.




From the song: Jerusalem of Gold by Naomi Shemir:

The mountain air is clear as wine
And the scent of pines
Is carried on the breeze of twilight
With the sound of bells.

And in the slumber of tree and stone
Captured in her dream
The city that sits solitary
And in its midst is a wall.

Jerusalem of gold, and of bronze, and of light
Behold I am a violin for all your songs.  English Translation from the Hebrew

#BlogElul 23 Love: Name your city

When I think of a picture of love I think of this beautiful sculpture from the Billy Rose Sculpture garden at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.  Here is its predecessor sculpture in New York.

Two great cities and I love them both probably for the same reason; they both have a lot of Jews.  It is exhilarating to be in Jerusalem and study with great scholars.  It is also exhilarating to be in New York amongst Jewish and secular scholars and to be in the midst of Broadway, the Met and all of the other great museums.  


Can you love a city?  I suppose if I did it would  be a three way tie and the last city being Chicago.  I love coming back to Chicago after spending time away.  It is home and I do love it.  We may not have a love sculpture but we do have the BEAN

This post is part of #BlogElul, a series of social media posts created during Elul, the month preceding the High Holidays. During Elul, it is customary for Jews to prepare spiritually for the upcoming new year. An annual project, #Blog Elul is the brainchild of Rabbi Phyllis Sommer.

Our Last Day: Lingering impressions and lots to tell!

Our last day we packed in a tour of the Western Wall Tunnels archeological findings at the Kotel and a trip to Beit Guvrin where we participated in a REAL archeological dig at Dig for the Day.
We began early  with a visit to the Kotel and we  put all the prayers from Lakeside in the Wall.  Many people commented on feeling touched to be at the Wall, it was not necessarily a religious connection but perhaps a historical or community ties.
Then we headed to the tunnel excavations; it is amazing to see what they keep uncovering.  I was there 7 years ago and they are STILL uncovering more finds.  Our group was surprised to learn that the actual Kotel is only a small part of the original wall of the either the first or second temple.  The original wall is much deeper as the city of Jerusalem is like a Tel, one layer of the city on top of another.

Looking down at the group, in an underground garbage dump from 138 BCE

After getting back on the bus we headed south to Beit Guvrin and then began our dig for a day.  Archeologist Ian Stern gave us a short talk and soon we were digging and finding shards of pottery and bones that had not been touched since 176 BCE or during the Hasmonean dynasty. The site of this dig is actually a garbage dump from this period.  We know some Jews lived there and over the past 30 years volunteers like us have found bits of a Ketubah, marriage contract, and other shards of pottery with biblical Hebrew script.

We all found something and enjoyed digging and then shaking out what we had dug up to make sure we had not missed anything.

Ian, archeologist from Dig for a Day

Shaking out the dust and finding even more
from our dig

Our last night we had a festive meal at Olive and Fish and I think I'll save our final farewells for ONE more post.

Camel Riding and our Ascent to Jerusalem

Abraham welcoming us to his tent.

We left the busy and chaotic boardwalk of Tiberias for the peace and quiet of the  desert just outside of Jerusalem at the Inn of the Good Samaritans.  We met Abraham who welcomed us into his tent and then gave all who wanted them a camel ride.

We also became sheep herders for a few minutes and whatever you have read in the Bible it is not easy.  Also at the Inn of the Good Samaritan we saw more beautiful mosaic tile floors.  It is hard to believe  all of the  ancient ruins we have seen over the past week.  It is isn't easy for us to keep everything straight.

We then went ascended to Jerusalem and stopped for a beautiful view of the city from Mt. Scopus, home of Hebrew University, my alma matter for my Junior year abroad.  The view and the air were spectacular and we then descended upon a very busy Ben Yehuda street for lunch and some shopping.  

I am always so pleased to see Ben Yehuda a  closed street mall that has shops, cafes, street performers and it was so packed during this Pesach break. 

Friday night we were guests of Kol Haneshamah a progressive Reform congregation in Jerusalem.  

We all gathered had dinner together at the Dan Panorma and some of the group left with Rabbi Serotta for an evening visit to the Kotel, the Western Wall.  

Shabbat will bring more time in the Old City and Sunday is our B'nai Mitzvah. More later.