Kosel Rav Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz called on seminaries not to send girls for a protest tefilla at the Kosel on Wednesday morning, the Second Day Rosh Chodesh Teves 5774. They complied with his request, resulting in a relatively small turnout of ‘anti Women of the Wall’ mispallalim.
The Women of the Wall organization however decided not to comply with Rabbi Rabinowitz’s request and the monthly rosh chodesh event was held as planned.
As is the custom of many of the WoW women, they were wearing tallis and tefilin. A number of chareidim became too unruly in the eyes of police and a few persons were detained.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
The Kotel Authority has now given momentum to WOW. Instead of giving koach to the valiant counterattack of the Women for The Wall, they sold them out.
Shame on you Kotel authority. Another victory for WOW, and one step closer to a new egalitarian Kotel(Chas ve Chalilah).
Can anyone explain what was their logic behind this weak move.. A truly dissapointing end to Hannukah. Looks like the Hellenist WOW’s have won.
Thanks a lot.
define:
While I understand your ire, with all due respect, I think you are misreading the situation. Understand that Rabbi Rabinowitz has never shied away from controversy when it comes to ensuring that the kedusha of the kosel be preserved.
For example, he refused to clear the area of Jewsih worshippers at the request of the last pope when he wanted to visit and even prohibited him from wearing a cross while there (which was over ruled by the secular authorities).
Remember also that is was Rabbi Rabinowitz that, way back in 2009, ordered police to arrest these WoW “women” who wore tallits or held a sefer torah (also over-ruled by the secualr authorities).
I can only guess at what Rav Rabinowitz was trying to do here; perhaps a “cooling off:” he did, after all, ask BOTH sides to stand down. Our faithful seminary girls complied but these “women,” who have no respect for our Torah, our mesorah, our halacha or our gedolim, did not.
Keep in mind, our path, the Torah path, is the path of peace, NOT confrontation. The Rav tried the path of peace. It didn’t work. My hunch is that next Rosh Chodesh, our girls will be back, stronger than ever.
Thanks loads rabbi rabinowitz. You just gave them more credibility