Women aligned with the Women of the Wall (WoW) organization on Monday, 1 Iyar 5775 held their monthly rosh chodesh prayer event at the Kosel. In an unprecedented act, they absconded a Sefer Torah from the men’s section, taking it to the women’s section and they then danced with it.
This act has elicited the ire of many in the frum community, including Kosel Rav Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, who told the media he will seek a way to act to prevent bloodshed next rosh chodesh.
Their act was captured on the many Kosel security cameras and there are calls directed at Israel Police to take the appropriate action.
WoW leader Anat Hoffman stated “The rav of the Kosel disparages the Women of the Wall for we are the only one who are not reader to surrender to his religious radicalization which has taken over the Kosel. We demand from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to clarify to Sheriff Rabinowitz that this is a state of law and order and the law permits Women of the Wall to read from the Torah. The prime minister must control the rabbi of the Kosel and immediately halt the incitement against the WoW organization”.
Rabbi Rabinowitz condemned the act, calling on both the cabinet secretary and minister of religious services to set firm regulations in place to prevent “Chilul HaKodesh”.
The rabbi also expressed his sorrow over the pain endured by the donator of the Sefer Torah from whom the Torah was taken and then brought to the women’s section. The rabbi added that he is addressing the event as a Sefer Torah that has fallen to the ground and as such he will fast.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
The women of the “deformed” movement are getting the leg-up. Since the” branch” of Judaism is fake , maybe next we can plant a fake sefer Torah for them to steal. We will make it like the afikomen, and give them a some fake tefillin as a prize. They have the maturity of small children anyway.
There are not branches of Judaism. Judaism means you believe in the divinity of Matan Torah. Otherwise it’s just a fake.
as such he will fast Will he combine it with BeHaB? or have a separate Tzom?
I believe that this will be prevented from happening again. But then they will bring their own Sefer Torah
I was by the Menorah above the Kotel at 7:15 AM and I noticed quite a number of police vans inside the gate. My daughter who was witness to the event basically described a situation in which the police turned a blind eye to the smuggling of the Safer Torah over to the women’s side, and then the police surrounded and protected the sinners as the performed their act of chillul kodesh.
A simple solution is to post guards are employed by the Kosel Rav to prevent any Sifrei Torahs from leaving the mens section (especially on Rosh Chodesh).
Apply capital punishment to these reshantas.
WOMEN OFF THE WALL STRIKE AGAIN