New York, N.Y., December 14, 2012 – Friday morning, Israeli police detained four women as they prayed at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The group of 138 men and women was organized by Women of the Wall, an organization that fights for women's right to pray freely, while donning prayer shawls and other religious articles, at the Western Wall. Among those detained was Reform Rabbi Elyse Frishman, senior rabbi of Barnert Temple in Franklin Lakes, NJ, the oldest synagogue in New Jersey and editor of the Reform Movement's Reform Movement’s siddur (prayer book), CCAR's Mishkan T'filah, used in over 700 North American congregations.
America is in a state of emergency. This time, I’m not talking about Hurricane Sandy, or the fiscal cliff or domestic violence. I’m talking about the state of judicial emergencies that exists in 33 places across our country and that compromises our democratic system. This week, Reform leaders Rabbi David Saperstein and Rabbi Marla J. Feldman sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urging them to hold confirmation votes for the 19 pending nominees in a swift and timely manner.
For the past few weeks we have all been affected, either physically or emotionally, by the devastating destruction of Hurricane Sandy. The Reform Movement immediately mobilized its resources to address the needs of our congregations and others affected by the storm. As part of these efforts, NFTY has launched a scholarship fund to ensure that youth in the affected communities are able to participate in regional and summer programs.
This week, in Israel, women were praying and those women were arrested. This is a tragedy that must not happen again! Anat Hoffman, executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center and chairwoman of Women of the Wall, was arrested for praying at the Western Wall. Anat was part of a prayer service for Rosh Chodesh Chesvan that included Women of the Wall members and Hadassah convention delegates, who had convened in Jerusalem to mark the 100th birthday of the founding of Hadassah. This arrest is an outrage and an atrocity!