by Janet Chaikin, NCJW SE Atlantic Section

Recently, my daughter and I had the pleasure of attending a Rosh Chodesh service with a group of women who have been praying together at the Western Wall since 1988 (Women of the Wall). One would think that the simple act of wearing talitot and praying together in celebration of the new moon (an ancient women’s celebration) would be nothing more than a lovely expression of communal prayer. One would also think that in Israel — of all places — there would be religious tolerance and freedom. Sadly, this is not the case. We met at the entrance to the women’s section of the wall and assembled at the rear, far away from where women were praying. It was a beautiful and joyous service. Several women looked at us incredulously, some shaking their heads in disgust. One woman begged that we not desecrate this holy place with our voices and implored the guard to silence us. Especially poignant for me was the presence of a few young girls in our group, the eldest of whom was celebrating a bat mitzvah. I couldn’t help wondering what they must be thinking, but fortunately, they seemed unfazed. My sense is that they were well prepared for these events.

I have been to the Western Wall many times, but never has the stark contrast between the men’s and women’s sections been so glaring. The joyous and uninhibited expressions of prayer — the men openly enveloped in their prayer shawls, many wearing tefilin; the sefertorahs; and the blowing of the shofar, as was done every day of Elul in preparation for the high holidays — all stood in direct contrast to the deafening silence of the women’s prayers, except our little group singing Hallel and the Shacharit prayers. We could not hold our torah service there and instead walked the short distance to Robinson’s Arch, at the southern wall of the temple, where men and women are permitted to worship together. 

Singing as we walked, the joy was palpable as we moved alongside the bat mitzvah carrying the torah. It was a beautiful morning and I felt very proud to be among this group of women (and men) assembled here. As an olah chadashah, a person who recently made aliyah to Israel, I hope that women will soon have the freedom to pray openly, in talitot and tefilin if they wish, their beautiful voices celebrated and not deemed profane. I will be back to celebrate Rosh Chodesh with this amazing group of women again.