Women of the Wall
Women of the Wall ( WOW; Hebrew עברית ) is an Israeli women's rights organization that primarily committed to protecting the that the right of Jewish women is recognized, to pray at the whole area of the Western Wall, to wear the tallit and together to read from the Torah.
Background
Women standing at the Western Wall prayer area available, which is separated by the mechitza of the men section. According to Orthodox tradition, women are not allowed there to wear the tallit and the Tefilin or read from the Torah. Reform Judaism, however, also allows women wearing the ritual prayer clothes.
History
1988, the first Congress of Jewish feminists took place in Jerusalem, from its environment on 1 December 1988 about 100 women a public common prayer with Torah scroll ( sefer tora ) and Tallitot in the separated women's section at the Western Wall were holding. Despite protests from other men and women the prayer was finished. The former administrator of the Western Wall, Rabbi Yehuda Gertz, noted the prayer did not violate the rules of Halacha. The prayer ceremonies have since been held on Rosh Chodesh monthly.
In the follow-up it always came back to some violent disturbances of the prayers held by Orthodox Jews. The Supreme Court of Israel decreed by a petition of four women initially banning of prayer with Tallit and Torah. In December 1989, the court forbade " any religious ceremony at a sacred site that does not agree with the customs of the place and hurt the feelings of believers." There followed a year of litigation, in 1994 was appointed at the request of the Supreme Court by the Israeli government Mancal the Commission to evaluate the claims. 1997, the Commission proposed to allow prayer at Robinson Arch adjacent to the Western Wall. Which is rejected by WOW. Another Commission ( Ne'eman Commission) was used. On June 4, 2001, it was decided by the Supreme Court that women generally have the right to pray at the Wailing Wall, this law does not apply indefinitely and such a prayer of WOW is permitted at Robinson Arch, but not on the wall itself.
In the following years there were repeated arrests of activists WOW for violations of this decision. In 2010, 400 international rabbis demanded an open letter to the Jerusalem police to protect ritually women praying at the Wailing Wall. In Israel, a national debate on religious women's rights in Israel and the relationship between Orthodox Judaism and modern Jewish values emerged.
After a ritual prayer in the women's section of the Western Wall were allowed women had in the exercise of prayer are protected by security forces against orthodox attacks.