WRJ Centennial Trip: Praying at the Western Wall

Editors' Note: WRJ released a statement on this prayer service. Hello again from Israel and, in particular, from Jerusalem. Today was simply an experience almost too profound to articulate. We were awakened by our 5:30 a.m. wake-up call so we could have a cup of coffee, a quick bite of breakfast, and be on the bus by 6:20 a.m. We headed toward the old city's Dung Gate. Some of us were more than a little nervous given the Haredim posters calling for a significant turnout to dispute our praying wearing tallitot at the Kotel. What if they threw chairs at us or elbowed us or spit at us? What if we did get detained? Despite the intimidation, most of the women on our trip decided this was a moment in history... it was time to make our 1913 matriarchs who marched for suffrage proud of values we continue to uphold.

We prayed. We sang. We danced. A few Haredim women shouted absurd evils at us throughout our morning service. One young woman with an infant in a carriage refused to smile; she stared at us as if we were aliens from another world desecrating her home. Nevertheless, we continued to pray... of course, wearing our tallitot. We stood arm-in-arm with our trip roommates, never letting each other out of close proximity. Our courage grew as the service progressed. We couldn't believe how much press was there. They battled for the best position; members of Knesset, who could not be detained or arrested regardless of their tallitot, were a major draw (see The Times of Israel or The Jerusalem Post for more details). As I stood next to Anat Hoffman, Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center and chairwomen of Women of the Wall (WOW), a very young police woman came by and said, "Do you know it is against the law for women to wear tallit?" I merely smiled and thank her for the for the information. I then asked Anat about it. She replied, "They warn you so that you can be officially detained. Without the warning, they can't detain or arrest you."

As it turned out, we prayed the service and marched out singing at Hebrew equivalent of "We Shall Overcome," arm-in-arm with each other and those fabulous Knesset women who wore their tallitot and stood with us. If one of us in the large crowd would have been detained, the entire group would have turned around and stayed. Miraculously, for the first time in months, no one was detained! We all proceeded to Robinson's Arch to read Torah. Many of us shared an Aliyah to mark our first time praying with WOW. So what did our women think and feel? Here are some of our fabulous group's comments: Ellen Petracco: I watched a mom with 2 young daughters dance together, wrapped in a tallit. It moved me so. Blair Marks, WRJ 1st Vice President: This is was the right thing to do. Personally I was most moved spiritually by the Torah service at the Arch but praying at the Kotel made a statement. Fonda Hartman: I was so impressed with the young women leading our service; they helped us participate. Sharon Benoff, WRJ Vice President: Locked arm in arm wearing our tallitot was a moment to remember forever Jeanne Kahn: Being with the Israeli women and with all the WOW has given me a sense of women together forever. Dana Adler: To be here the first time and have so many experiences steeped in history and know we are making history today is amazing. Linda Ferguson: I remember my grandmother at this moment; doing this was for her! Lynn Magid Lazar, WRJ President: I was overwhelmed with so many supporting us-men, women, rabbinic students we had met the day before, soldiers, and rabbis... every breadth of men was standing with us. Marcy Frost: I was bothered by the women who were praying while we danced; we were interfering with their prayers. Barbara Brown: It was amazing to be standing and dancing with Women of the Wall. Rabbi Marla Feldman, WRJ Executive Director: Every time I have prayed with WOW has been different. Today was no exception. The rules keep changing. I am so proud of us. WRJ is in the house!