An Israeli woman was arrested for wearing a prayer shawl while worshiping at the Kotel. Nofrat Frenkel, a 4th year medical student at Ben Gurion University, was attending a prayer service with other members of Women of the Wall, a woman-led group that advocates for gender equality. On this particular morning the group had gathered to celebrate Rosh Chodesh Kislev and a new Sefer Torah donated to them by Temple Sinai, a Reform congregation in Pittsburgh. After singing Hallel the group of more than 40 women - sixteen of whom were wearing prayer shawls - decided to unveil the Torah. Soon afterward Frenkel, who was holding the Torah, was arrested by the police, who "threatened that she might not get a medical license because [now] she would have a felony on her record." Eventually she was released but is banned from visiting the wall for 15 days.
The arrest is the latest development in a disagreement between Women of the Wall and Orthodox rabbis who have called the women "deviants who serve equality." Although WoW has been holding prayer services at the Kotel to commemorate Rosh Hodesh for the past 21 years, as women they are not allowed to wear prayer shawls or read from the Torah. According to Ha'aretz, people are noticing the increasingly fundamentalist practices being enforced at the Kotel, with the end result being that many visitors leave the wall with negative memories of one of Judaism's most important sites.
Gawker posted an interesting YouTube video about Women of the Wall, which recounts how female worshipers have had chairs and feces thrown at them while praying. The video can be seen here. "Israel markets the wall as a place of national unity," says Anat Hoffman, founder of WoW, in the video. "How can there be unity when half the population is silenced?"
Image via Women of the Wall / Photo by Rahel Jaskow
What’s next? Are the rabbis going to start having women arrested for dress code violations? Maybe threaten them with being forbidden to marry within the Orthodox community if they don’t dress correctly?
The rabbis are starting to sound like the mullahs.
Pretty soon no one will be able to tell the difference between Jews and Muslims – both will seem like extremist groups and everyone else will simply lose interest.
This would be very bad for Jews.
What kind of observant Jew would throw excrement at a person, or even handle it at such a sacred place?
This says a lot more about the men than the women. Even if you may not agree with the women, their hearts seem more pure than the men’s.
Hey stephanie! don’t Christians have any extremist groups among them ? You are slandering other religions while ignoring the fundamentalists among yourselves. Corresct yourself first then look for others’ fault.
Asif, how do you know if stepanie is a Christian? Pretty arrogant and defensive comment.
I think the behavior of the Orthodox (and extremist) rabbis is disgusting, and without question not the behavior of any rabbi I have ever known, and I’ve know a lot.
This kind of reprehensible behavior seems to only apply to a small minority of ultra Orthodox Jewish extremist Rabbis, but they get noticed as our culture (Jewish) does not abide such vile behavior. WE, as Jews, do need to scream out far more vehemently and let the world know that we do not approve. Those Orthodox Jews should be banned from any and all synagogues. They are not Jews.
I agree with the Orthodox rabbis. Jewish women are deviants. You cannot trust them. Ask Feivel Goldschwartz?
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No-one can argue that this abhorrent behaviour reflects G-ds will for his chosen people.
I hope that G-d forgives the atrocious insults to devout Jewish women. These women clearly demonstrate a better example of our faith than the Orthodox hoodlums.
Mr. Goldberg: Does Eddy Portnoy know you use his writing as odd examples of specious statements? If this story is true, it is one woman. Do you suggest no Jewish men have committed acts at this level?
Tzvi: I was in agreement with you for a while, but then you said, “Those Orthodox Jews should be banned from any and all synagogues. They are not Jews.” So much anger, so much pain is connected with one person or group stating who is Jewish and who is not. That, to me, is the strength of denominations in our faith. If my friend is an Orthodox Rabbi and I am Reform, he certainly may say to me, “In our shul we wear X or do Y when we pray.” He may even say that I must, to pray there, do those things, and I should, in respect for their customs. But if he or anyone tells me that I am not a Jew? No, this is not right. You started out just right, “This kind of reprehensible behavior…” Behavior. The Christians say, “Hate the sin and love the sinner.” We all could do well to think that way…
Mr. Wall,
Thank you for your loving comments. I pray all of us will act with compassion toward others; even while rejecting the unacceptable actions. Behavior like this comes from fear. What do they fear? How can we be helpful? Shalom.
The enemy has gathered with the intent to destroy Christians and Jews, don’t you all think it’s time for reconciliation of the people of God, Jews and Gentiles, we need each other in these perilous times, there is no place for judgment of each other because the Holy Spirit is doing a new thing, why do we want to punish those who are doing a good thing in Hashem’s name!
It does seem odd that ultra-extremeists of all faiths want to blame women for their own short comings. If a man lusts it is because a woman made him or if he steals or kills or does all manner of atrocity it will be laid at the feet of some woman. Funny thing is that even in all male environments, such as prisons or military ranks, men who are evil at heart still manage to to be evil without women at all.
It is certainly true that the rabbis who violently prevent women from praying at the Kotel represent an extremist faction. Unfortunately, these extremists now control, not only the Kotel, but the key institutions of the official orthodox rabbinate in Israel. The Israeli rabbinate today does behave more like the mulahs of Iran or the Taliban than like the sages of our tradition. There seems to be no room in their belief and actions for any kind of Judaism other than their own. Instead of reaching out to fellow Jews with whom they disagree, they show only hatred. The Talmud teaches that it was such hatred among Jews — not the violation of the law — that caused the destruction of the Second Temple. No extremism in the name of “piety” could ever excuse such actions.
I saw a comment by a Freibel Goldschwartz I’m thinking we may be related, if you are from Poland or Russia, let me know if you would like to communicate to find out if we are in fact related.