Women of the Wall

For the TRY newspaper I wrote an article about joining WOW (Women of the Wall)  for Rosh Chodesh. I hope you enjoy it!

This Rosh Chodesh (beginning of the new month) may have seemed like a normal Tuesday morning to most people. To me it was so much more. I woke up at 5:45 just so that I could join Women of the Wall at the Kotel. Despite the lack of sleep it was totally worth it.

While I loved the experience at the wall, there were parts that I was not happy about. One such part was the men on the other side shouting vulgar and derogatory words at us. On the women’s side there were people shushing us and telling us we shouldn’t be there. What I don’t understand is why men are allowed to pray as loudly and with as much ruach as they want, but women aren’t allowed to pray above a whisper. There needs to be equality.  The kotel is a holy place to all Jews, not just those who believe that women should not make minyan at the wall.

Fortunately there were more ups than downs. I was praying at the Kotel. In Israel. How cool is that! I was part of a minyan made up of women. Some chose to wear tallitot and some did not-whatever their personal opinion was. I got to wear my tallit-the orange tallit you can easily find in a crowd (and clashes with most of my clothing).  My mother and I made my tallit together  during a difficult period in our lives and whenever I wear it, it reminds me of my family and what I have to be thankful for. My talliit has fabric on it that belonged to my great-great grandmother so I brought my ancestry with me to the holiest place in the world. The most important thing was that I stood up for what I believe in. I believe that women should be able to make the decision to wear a tallit themselves. If I make a stronger connection when I am wearing a tallit I should be able to wear it.

Joining Women of the Wall at the kotel is one of my highlights from being in Israel. I was singing out loud. I was dancing with other women who had the same beliefs as me. I prayed at the wall both on a personal level and a communal one. I was doing everything that connects me to Judaism.

I really hope Women of the Wall achieves its purpose. Not only is it a personal goal but a communal goal.  Women should have the right to practice their religion as they chose. Everyone has their own personal connection to prayer and to G-d and for many women the simple act of wearing a tallit or praying as a minyan can make all the difference. For me it is worth waking up early. It is something worth being yelled at or scoffed at.  It is even worth being arrested. For me this is something worth fighting for.

Meital, Heather, and I at the Kotel. I'm wearing my tallit!

 Later that day I found out that I had made it into Jerusalem Post. Here is their article: http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=306137

If you go through the pictures I'm in the fifth one in the orange tallit!